In response to a press statement released by the Registrar of Medical Schemes on the Council for Medical Schemes’ website yesterday, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) wishes to reassure members of medical schemes that the submission of proposed amendments to medical scheme rules is a standard process which occurs annually.

Members of medical schemes mentioned in the article should also be reassured that in terms of the Medical Schemes Act a registered scheme plan will not automatically lapse. The current rules of the scheme and corresponding plans are binding on the scheme and therefore, where rules are turned down by the Registrar, it is the amendments which are being turned down and not the plan itself.

Consequently, the rules which were approved by the Registrar for 2006 continue to apply and if the proposed amendments to the option are not approved, it simply means that the option will carry on as it did in 2006. However, we are confident that the issues raised by the Registrar will be adequately resolved by the schemes referred to before the 1st January 2007.

Of the 90 options not approved by the Registrar the majority are not rejected outright, but require a revision by the schemes to assess the impact on members and on contributions.

For further information, please contact Heidi Kruger, Head of Corporate Communications at BHF on (011) 5370200