NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 477
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21 October 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 32)
Mr J M G Bekker (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) With reference to his departmentâs booklet titled, National Health
Insurance â Health Care for all South Africans (details furnished),
(a) what amount was spent in the (i) public and (ii) private sectors
in the 2010-11 financial year and (b) on what basis does his
department assume that the money paid through a voluntary contribution
by persons to medical aid schemes can be unilaterally used for the
National Health Insurance Fund;
(2) whether principal members of medical aid schemes already pay income
tax; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what is the
estimated income tax the medical aid members already pay;
(3) whether the Government should prioritise the allocation of budgets to
each department based on their own priorities by using money from the
general fiscus; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,
what are the relevant details?
CW578E
REPLY:
1) (a) (i) An estimated amount of R109, 769 billion was
spent in the public sector during the 2010/2011;
(ii) An estimated amount of R112 billion was spent in the
private sector during the same year;
(b) The Department does not assume that the money paid through
voluntary contribution by persons to medical schemes can be
unilaterally used for National Health Insurance.
2) Medical scheme members are generally formally employed. The estimated
income tax paid by medical scheme members for the 2008/2009 financial
is reflected in the table below:
[pic] Source: National Treasury, 2010
3) Government has identified 12 outcomes as part of its programme of
action for the period 2009-2014. As it stands, government is
prioritising budget allocations to the various departments based on
these outcomes. The department prioritises the allocation of budgets
towards programmes and activities that are intended to have a maximum
impact on the health of the population.
END.