Black medical practitioners have welcomed a high-level report that acknowledges their unfair treatment by top medical aids, and have called for the system to be urgently rectified.
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The highly anticipated report on racism against private health practitioners may have finally been released this week, but the battle is far from over as healthcare practitioners call for the board of the Government Employees Medical Scheme s principal officer, Dr Stan Moloabi, and its board to step down.
On Tuesday, the Council for Medical Scheme s Section 59 investigation panel released its interim report on allegations of racial discrimination by medical schemes, against black, coloured and Indian healthcare practitioners. The report follows the panel s 2019 investigation, stemming from claims made by the private practitioners, who include doctors and other healthcare professionals such as optometrists and physiotherapists.
Board of Healthcare Funders hits back at racism allegations in medical aid schemes report
By Zelda Venter
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PRETORIA - The Board of Healthcare Funders said that it would closely review the preliminary report issued by the Council for Medical Schemes’ Section 59 Investigation in which it was found that black medical practitioners were unfairly discriminated against.
BHF said in a statement that they would engage with the panel set up to investigate the claims to establish a way forward and to establish remedial interventions where such interventions are required.
Dr Katlego Mothudi, Managing Director of the BHF, said several efforts are being made in the medical scheme industry to root out fraud, waste and corruption. In efforts to do so, the board member schemes follow various processes to determine trends and anomalies in claims, and use these to determine the outcome of claims.