EXCLUSIVE: Sweeping medical aid shake-up a step closer
New rules on benefits, prices and governance planned, with greater emphasis on primary care
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is planning a major shake-up of the medical-scheme industry, with new rules on benefits, prices and governance, which he says will give consumers a better deal. The changes are contained in the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill. The minister said he had presented the proposals to a cabinet committee on Tuesday. The most crucial aspect of the bill was a proposal to introduce uniform tariffs for services and prohibit co-payments, potentially heralding a sea change for industry players and consumers alike. At present, each medical scheme negotiates its own rates with service providers such as hospitals and doctors, while members face varying degrees of co-payments for their healthcare bills, depending on which medical-scheme options they belong to and the nature of their conditions. "There must be a uniform tariff, the same rate for all and they [providers] must ask for nothing from members," said the minister in an interview with Business Day on Wednesday...
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