The Department of Health has done a U-turn on its plan to scrap medical aid schemes, saying they should work with the state when it rolls out National Health Insurance instead.
Department director-general, Precious Matsoso, met leaders of the medical aid plan sector and asked that they work together to reform healthcare in South Africa.
“This is big news,” said Graham Anderson, principal officer of Profmed. The medical aid sector was delighted to be asked to work with the department, because it had been in the dark about NHI for some time, he said.
In the meeting Matsoso made different suggestions on how the government may have to work with the private sector, such as subsidising medical aid options for people who couldn’t afford them.
Finer details of a partnership, however, were not discussed.
Matsoso confirmed the meeting.
She said: “The Department of Health is consulting all stakeholders, private, civil society and labour, to get further inputs [o
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