As a knowledge based organisation, the effective dissemination of information to industry stakeholders is critical. This is done through the media, seminars and workshops, newsletters and other communication modalities to four key industry stakeholder groupings, namely; medical schemes and administrators; medical scheme members and consumers; regulatory authorities and relevant government departments; business and labour organisations.

The overall focus of the Benefit and Risk department is on minimising risks to which schemes are exposed in providing benefits for their members. It ensures that benefits are designed, worded and coded in such a way that there is little or no opportunity for misuse or abuse.

Three panels support the work of the Benefit & Risk Department: the Clinical Advisory Panel (CAP), the Coding and Hospital Panel (CHEP) and the Criteria Committee.

BHF is the representative organisation for the majority of medical schemes throughout South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana as well as Lesotho. This is an organisation that will provide you with relevant, up-to-date information; engage with government on your behalf; and, provide services which will add value to your business.

As the industry representative body, the organisation relies on the membership of all medical schemes to ensure that it is able to engage with policy makers and other organisations effectively and to influence policy where necessary on behalf of the entire industry.

Our Vision

To have a (Private) Healthcare Funding system that ensures lifetime access to essential and affordable healthcare for the family of the average working person in Southern Africa.

Our Mission

We exist as an industry representative body, providing a platform on which key players in the private healthcare funding industry converge, and a vehicle to be used by this industry to pursue its interests and a crucible in which cutting edge issues are debated, discussed and packaged to policy positions. We also must play an advocacy role in the Southern African region. We must mediate and arbitrate between the members and be the glue between the BHF Chambers.

The following over-arching activities are crucial:-

• To represent and interact with our membership on an ongoing basis, communicating appropriately with relevant stakeholders and sharing information.
• To develop, maintain and nurture a strong working relationship with Government Policy makers viz: Minister of Health, Director General of Health, Minister of Finance and Director General of Finance in South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Botswana. The Strategy Policy issues, legislation, and direction affecting the industry discussed at this level must include BHF, preferably at the "soft pencil" stage in order to ensure that the memberships interest are represented.
• The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) is the regulator of the Private Healthcare Funding Industry and the BHF needs to develop, maintain and nurture a strong working relationship with its Registrar/CEO. The BHF as a representative body of the Private Healthcare Funding industry, and CMS, should operate as "two sides of the same coin" and be "joined at the hip" in order to ensure that the membership is adequately represented and engaged with. This will ensure alignment of industries' objectives and similar relationships should be fostered in Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
• To interact with relevant bodies like the Competition Commission, Pricing Committee, Medicines Control Council, Consumer Bodies, Labour Organisations and Trade Unions, Business Community (BUSA) and NEDLAC in order to foster good working relationship within the Southern African healthcare environment.
• To interact constructively with all the healthcare providers, on whom we depend, to render healthcare services to our members in order to build trust and ongoing relationship for the benefit of the membership.

Core function areas of BHF:

• Benefit and Risk
• Communications and Marketing
• Practice Code Numbering System (PCNS)
• Healthcare Forensic Management Unit (HFMU)
• Trustee Training
• Legal

Every individual at the BHF is important and our core values of Commitment, Leadership, Innovation, Inclusivity, Excellence, and Communication are carried through from board member level to frontline staff. The BHF brand is about representing and serving with Integrity.

Dr Z.H. Zokufa
MD

To visit dedicated pages for the various function areas, please click on the appropriate link below.

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