Johannesburg, 30 September 2019 – SECTION27 and the Treatment Action Campaign welcome the publishing of the final report of the Competition Commission’s Health Market Inquiry (HMI). This has been an important and lengthy process. It is the first holistic and comprehensive look at the private health sector in South Africa. Continue Reading
Sonke Gender Justice, the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27 welcome the Gauteng High Court’s approval of the settlement agreement in the Silicosis Class Action. SECTION27 represented Sonke Gender Justice and the Treatment Action Campaign in the application to certify the class in the case in 2015, arguing in that case Continue Reading
Johannesburg, 24 January 2018 – Users of private healthcare in South Africa are set to pay the price for further delays in the publication of the final report of the Competition Commission’s Health Market Inquiry (HMI). The HMI commenced five years ago to investigate amongst other issues the cost drivers Continue Reading
As an organisation that acts in the public interest, we are concerned about equitable access to health care services in the private sector, particularly, pricing and the drivers of the high cost of health care in the private health care sector. We recognise the importance of understanding the complexities in Continue Reading
The findings and recommendations of the HMI are critical to the public debate on the National Health Insurance and the Medical Schemes Bills, and thus it is critical that these findings are made public as a matter of urgency.
The Health Market Inquiry has published its revised timetable. The inquiry will now be finalised in December 2017. There will be another round of public hearings in May – June 2017, however, the subject of those hearings is yet to be determined. There are several opportunities to make written submissions, including Continue Reading
Bonitas explained that there has been an increase of approximately 52% in the cost per year, per beneficiary in terms of PMB claims. It added that the proportion of PMB claims in hospitals had increased more rapidly than for services provided outside of hospitals.
The explanation Bonitas proffered for this was “upcoding” by healthcare professionals, because schemes must pay on invoice in full and that “the PMBs have made South Africans Hospicentric”. The result is that “most of our members actually end up in hospital”, which Bonitas’s representative plainly admitted “is a problem”.
Demand, the FDoH submitted is related to want which can be created whereas need is related to, amongst other things, burden of disease and availability of healthcare services. Demand for private healthcare is higher in Bloemfontein than anywhere else, with result that there is excess capacity in terms of beds. This happens at the same time as the need is high in poorer more rural areas, but the demand is lower because people are less able pay for private healthcare.
Brain Ruff, the founder of PPO Serve Integrated Clinical Consortia, a consultancy of healthcare professionals, presented to the Health Market Inquiry on 17 May 2016. He indicated that he had academic experience and had worked for Discovery Health for 16 years. He was also involved in a hospital strategy project Continue Reading
Johannesburg, May 13 2016: The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and SECTION27 welcome the judgment handed down by Deputy Judge President Mojapelo today in the South Gauteng High Court in the case of Bongani Nkala and 68 Others v Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd and 31 Others. This judgment is an Continue Reading
Acting Registrar Mrs T Manganye along with two representatives presented to the panel Health Market Inquiry on the role and functions of the Nursing Council of South Africa. What is the Nursing Council? The Nursing Council is a statutory body set up and operating in terms of the Nursing Act. Continue Reading
On the second day of this round of hearings, the Panel heard from the Clinix Health Group, the South African Nursing Council and Office of Health Standards Compliance. Testimony from each of these groups was extensive and lengthy as a result summaries of these proceedings will be published individually. History Continue Reading