Despite facing strong opposition from various stakeholders, the National Health Insurance (NHI) bill has been considered and approved by the Portfolio Committee on Health in South Africa. The bill was initially presented to Parliament in August 2019 and subsequently referred to the Portfolio Committee for thorough deliberation. The primary objective of the NHI bill is to ensure universal access to healthcare by creating a single public health fund funded through general taxes and contributions from higher-income individuals. As stated by the Parliament ;
This means that every South African will have a right to access comprehensive healthcare services free of charge at the point of care at accredited health facilities, such as clinics, hospitals and private health practitioners
