doctors join health bill outcry  
21 May 2008

The National Health Amendment Bill, published for comment last month, contains wide-reaching proposals for collective bargaining on private health-care fees overseen by a ministerially appointed tribunal. The deadline for comment was last Friday.  Radiological Society president Clive Sperryn said: “If enacted as drafted, the legislation would result in increased migration of medical specialists. A further depletion of already scarce resources could lead to the complete collapse of private healthcare.”

The Hospital Association of SA (Hasa), representing most private hospitals including the three biggest groups, Netcare, Medi-Clinic and LifeHealthcare, said the bill would backfire and reduce access to healthcare.  “The proposed regulatory revisions are not the correct policy solutions for our country’s ailing health-care system,” said Hasa CEO Kurt Worrall-Clare.

“If promulgated, these regulations would severely compromise future delivery of private healthcare as health-care professionals and providers alike would be hard hit by the legislative amendments. Ultimately though consumers and patients would bear the brunt.”   The South African Medical Association, SA’s biggest doctor body, would not comment before its meeting with the health department this week. It indicated previously it opposed the bill. It is understood the department has planned meetings from today with parties who made submissions on the bill.

Discovery Health said the bill was likely to cause price distortion and affect the supply of GPs, specialists and hospital services negatively. Its strategy head, Jonathan Broomberg, said there was insufficient consultation and policy research before the bill was published. The proposed law was open to constitutional challenge.   The Pharmaceutical Task Group, an umbrella body for the main pharmaceutical industry associations, said the bill’s provisions were an infringement of constitutional rights to property, freedom of trade, occupation and profession, and privacy.
The group, including Innovative Medicines SA, the Pharmaceutical Industry Association of SA, the National Association of Generic Manufacturers, Pharmaceuticals Made in SA and the Self-Medication Manufacturers Association of SA, said the bill should exclude medicines.

Tamar Kahn,  www.businessday.co.za