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NSSA general manager Mr James Matiza said the authority was considering introducing the compulsory scheme in 2013 when the economic situation in the country would have further improved.
Parliament in 2008 ordered NSSA to suspend introduction of the scheme following an outcry from both industry and labour who argued that its timing was wrong as workers were already overburdened with other compulsory deductions.
This followed hearings by the Portfolio Committees on Health and Labour and Social Services to provide the public and other stakeholders an opportunity to air their views on the proposed scheme.
With the adoption of multiple currencies in 2009, the economic situation is gradually stabilising and NSSA is convinced that it can resume debate on the proposed health insurance scheme.
Mr Matiza said the authority had since explained the concept of the scheme to the new NSSA board and it had consented to its introduction.
“This coming year we will be approaching the Minister (of Labour and Social Welfare) for authority to introduce the scheme,” he said.
He said NSSA might have to go back to stakeholders to remind them about the proposed scheme and to get their input on reviewing it, since its parameters were set based on the Zimbabwe dollar.
“We may need to adjust the scheme by reviewing its design and the Statutory Instrument providing the legal framework for its implementation,” he said.
Mr Matiza said 2013 was a realistic date since NSSA did not want to introduce the scheme prematurely as people might not be prepared for it.
He said the date would also allow for consultations with stakeholders which might take long as the authority would be visiting every province.
“We will soon be approaching the Minister of Labour and Social Services and his Health and Child Welfare counterpart for authority to revisit the scheme,” he said.
The proposed insurance scheme will co-exist with private medical aid schemes, and by paying only 25 percent of their current contributions to their existing medical aid schemes, workers would receive the same benefits offered under the current Basic Cover Medical Aid Scheme.
NSSA has argued that the current private health schemes only cover 30 percent of the workers, leaving the remaining 70 percent uninsured, and without access to affordable treatment in the event of a health crisis.
All workers, including those with their own medical insurance with companies such as CIMAS and PSMAS will be compelled to contribute five percent of their salaries to the NSSA scheme, with employers topping it with another five percent.
When it was first mooted in 2007, the health delivery system was crumbling under debilitating economic sanctions that Western countries had imposed as retribution for implementing agrarian reforms and the plan was designed to augment the funding of public hospitals as normal financing from the fiscus was inadequate.
It was envisaged that the money would be used to buy medication and fund operations of all Government hospitals with the aim that with time the Government would be concentrating on salaries and conditions of service for health personnel while NSSA dealt with the procurement of drugs using money from the taxpayers’ contributions. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter