New horizons for health policy

Your medical aid tax credits could be back on the chopping block if a decision by the education and health subcommittee of the national executive committee is anything to go by.

The committee of social transformation also affirmed its commitment to decriminalising sex work, which could help to reduce new HIV infections.

The education and health subcommittee says the party will continue to support axing R20-billion in medical aid tax credits in order to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI).

The announcement comes just months after Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba hinted that cuts to tax credits were unlikely to materialise after treasury found that it would hurt low-income earners.

The subcommittee, which decides the ANC’s health policy agenda, is also calling for expanding the number of NHI pilot sites across the country. Currently, 11 districts nationally have begun implementing NHI reforms.

“It was really felt that we need to see government accelerating and taking concrete steps in the implementation of the NHI,” explained committee chairperson and Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor. “It was particularly felt that ... we perhaps need to look at expanding the number as an indication of our concrete commitment to the NHI.”

And though the committee of social transformation said it would continue to support decriminalising sex work, the body was mum on the status of discussions at branch level about decriminalising the profession. Meanwhile, it says the party continues to advocate for broadened access to drug rehabilitation services and is supporting the current review of national substance abuse policies as South Africa works to draft its next Drug Master Plan.