Unpacking the NHI Bill recently passed by parliament in May 2023: Implications for oral health

The journey to enacting a policy is a lengthy but worthy process. It was first the green paper in 2012, then the white paper NHI discussions in 2015, then NHI policy in 2017 and incorporated universal health coverage concepts. From 2019 it was passed into an NHI Bill, went for public comment and was debated at length, with, understandably, many concerns. The Bill must be approved by parliament – by both the national assembly (NA) and the nation council of provinces (NCOP) – before being sent to the president to sign into law – NHI Act of 2023 [or 2024]. The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the process but also brought concerns from the already sceptical public about the intended reform