NHI Act: BHF expecting Ramaphosa to ignore Friday's deadline to comply with court order
Instead, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) expects he and the health minister will file for leave to appeal last week’s judgment of the North Gauteng High Court that it has the jurisdiction to review his decision-making.
The NHI Act is the ANC’s ambition for universal health coverage. Picture: Rosetta Msimango/Spotlight
CAPE TOWN - The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) says it expects the president will ignore Friday's deadline to comply with a court order to provide the record of decision that led to him signing the National Health Insurance bill into law.
Instead, it expects he and the health minister will file for leave to appeal last week’s judgment of the North Gauteng High Court that it has the jurisdiction to review his decision-making.
On Thursday, the BHF, which represents private medical aid schemes, announced it will be launching two more court cases against the constitutionality of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act and the public participation process that preceded it.
Last week, the high court found that Ramaphosa's decision to assent to and sign the NHI Act into law is reviewable.
READ: Board of Healthcare Funders set to file two more legal challenges to NHI Act
It gave him 10 calendar days to furnish the court with the record of his decision.
The BHF expects this record could bolster its subsequent cases challenging the public participation process that led to the passing of the bill, and even after, when the sector petitioned the president to consider their concerns and objections.
But on the final day of its annual conference in Cape Town on Wednesday, BHF lawyer Helen Michael was doubtful the judgment would be adhered to.
"If we are all being frank, I would probably say that's unlikely. The problem the president does face if he fails to file the record is that he opens himself up to a contempt of court application."
The South African Private Practitioners Forum and the South African Medical Association have also launched their bids against what they believe is the unconstitutionality of the NHI Act.