title: Public awareness and knowledge of the National Health Insurance in South Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individuals residing in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape provinces who had access to public health services were surveyed to determine public knowledge and awareness of the new National Health Insurance (NHI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted and a total of 748 adult respondents were sampled using a two-stage systematic sampling design. Data were collected using mobile phone assisted personal interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study found that 80.3% of the respondents were aware of the NHI and slightly less than half (49.8%) of the respondents did not have knowledge of how the NHI works and 71.8% lacked awareness about the origin of the development of the NHI concept in South Africa. The knowledge of what the NHI would pay for was poor and 48.1% knew that the NHI Fund would pay for medical expenses if a person got sick and 45.7% knew that with health insurance, basic health requirement is ensured and that if one becomes ill, medical treatment would be paid for by the NHI Fund, 50.9% of respondents did not understand how the NHI Fund will pay for health care received, only 44.8% understood how the NHI will pay for health care services received.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The public education campaigns to increase knowledge and understanding of the NHI scheme might have been inadequate hence might not have penetrated many communities. It is recommended that a comprehensive community consultation plan be established to increase awareness and knowledge of the NHI among community members targeting clinics, schools, pension pay points and other community sites.
authors.affiliation: Human Sciences Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria, South Africa ; Department of Health Studies, University of South Africa, P.O. 392, UNISA, 0003, Republic of South Africa.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Setswe
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Monash, South Africa.
authors.forename: Samson
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muyanga
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Monash, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Witthuhn
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Monash, South Africa ; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nyasulu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013019:South Africa; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Awareness; National health insurance; South Africa; knowledge