The following is taken from the conclusion to an Econex report, Benefit Incidence, Financing Incidence and Need of Healthcare Services in South Africa “…both the 2015 and 2017 versions of the NHI White Paper compare healthcare financing and benefit under a sub-section entitled ‘Financing systems that punish the poor’. This is not the case. Relative to their financial contribution, individuals in poorer parts of the socioeconomic distribution receive a far greater proportion of public healthcare benefits. This is fair. However, it is not true that public healthcare financing ‘punishes the poor’. These results follow the same trends as previous studies. Generally, healthcare service delivery is considered equitable if the groups with the greatest need (i.e. those who are the sickest) also receive the most healthcare benefits. Considering the incidence of need, benefit and financing of health services in South Africa as a whole and in relation to each other, has important policy implications. In particular, it is imperative to consider these updated results in the ongoing debate around the implementation of a NHI system.”
