A massive shortages of hospital beds for psychiatric patients in Gauteng is compromising patient care. Gauteng is short of about 2700 psychiatric beds which means that psychiatric patients have to be admitted to general wards where there is no security, thus posing a threat both to themselves and others. This was revealed recently by Gauteng..
Continue reading…
The maddening state of Gauteng’s psychiatric facilities
Posted on Leave a comment
Nearly 2 million will lose private healthcare if tax reform happens
Posted on Leave a comment
The government’s plan to ditch medical aid tax credits will have a disastrous effect on already cash-strapped South Africans and force nearly 2 million people onto the over-stretched state health system. If the tax credit is removed, 22% of medical aid users will not be able to afford cover, Stellenbosch economics consultancy Econex warned in..
Continue reading…
NHI white paper issues raised – National Health Insurance
Posted on Leave a comment
The two fundamental issues with the new white paper on National Health Insurance (NHI) are a single payer fund and the nationalisation of private healthcare without compensation. Single payer fund In terms of the single payer fund, the white paper believes that the NHI can use bulk purchasing power to drive down the price of..
Continue reading…
How will private healthcare evolve under Universal Health Coverage (UHC)?
Posted on Leave a comment
With National Health Insurance, the Competition Commission investigation and sky-rocketing costs, it’s no wonder that the private healthcare sector (and the public sector for that matter) is a tad wary about what the future holds. However, in which ever way, shape or form it manifests itself, universal health coverage (UHC) is inevitable. It forms part..
Continue reading…
Syndicates and devious health professionals may target National Health Insurance
Posted on Leave a comment
Criminal networks are targeting your medical aid rands but could you be part of the problem too? Criminal syndicates and unscrupulous doctors may be defrauding the private health sector of millions as experts warn that medical schemes may reach a breaking point. “The health care sector is being targeted by criminal syndicates and even devious..
Continue reading…
NHI financing model questioned by FMF
Posted on Leave a comment
The latest iteration of the National Health Insurance (NHI) policy paper is no closer to defining how much the scheme will cost and where the money will come from to pay for it. Meanwhile, SA risks running out of tax payers to finance its social security commitments, said Dr Johann Serfontein, senior healthcare consultant with..
Continue reading…
Climbdown on medical aids
Posted on Leave a comment
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…
Continue reading…