Gems fails to block interim report on racial discrimination against doctors by medical schemes Franny Rabkin > By Franny Rabkin - 19 January 2021 - 11:10 The order clears the way for the release of the interim report, which according to the application papers makes “scathing allegations and findings in relation to Gems (and others)”. Stock photo. Image: 123RF/Prudencio Alvarez
The Pretoria high court has struck from the roll the application by the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) and the Board of Healthcare Finders to interdict the public release of an interim report that makes interim findings about racial discrimination against doctors by medical schemes.
Panel investigating claims of racism against Medical Schemes
‘Degrading, humiliating, and distressing’ – Section 59 investigation finds medical schemes racially profiled black health practitioners. The findings of investigation stemming from allegations from black doctors were released this week, despite attempts to block in in court.
Note- this story has been updated since it was published to include Discovery Health comment – Court action could not keep the damning findings of racial profiling of black doctors by medical aid schemes from public view.
A High Court judge has handed down a ruling ordering that a report revealing Medical Schemes racial profiling of doctors and health workers should be released to the public.
Sipho Mabena According to the applicants, the report makes scathing allegations and findings in relation to Gems [and others] . Picture: iStock.
Adding weight to this prospect is the fact that the independent panel’s findings into allegations of medical aid schemes and administrators withholding payments to black and Indian doctors on perception of fraudulent claims have twice been blocked on the eve of being made public.
The report was initially scheduled to be released on 16 December but Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize instructed it could not be released without him being appraised of its contents, sentiments echoed by the CMS.
An investigation panel headed by Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi has found that some of South Africa’s biggest medical aid schemes are guilty of unfair racial discrimination in the outcomes of their fraud, waste and abuse investigations of black healthcare providers.
Less than two hours after the Pretoria High Court struck the Government Employees Medical Scheme’s (GEMS ) attempt to interdict the release of the panel’s interim report from the roll, Ngcukaitobi and his fellow panelists released their main findings – which make scathing findings against GEMS, Medscheme and Discovery. After considering all the evidence and responses, we find that between 2012 and 2019 black practitioners were more likely to be found to have committed fraud, waste and abuse than their non-black (white) counterparts, by Discovery, Medscheme and GEMS, the panel stated.