Press release by the Board of Healthcare Funders on the agreement reached by the Minister of Health and the National Convention of Dispensing

The Board of Healthcare Funders has noted with concern the article in the Business Report of today, and has made enquiries with the National Department of Health regarding the alleged settlement reached between the Minister of Health and the NCD.
The BHF is concerned that an increase of up to 30%, as reflected in the Business Report, would be detrimental to members of medical schemes and other consumers of healthcare, especially in rural areas where many dispensing doctors operate. The rules and budgets of most medical schemes have already been finalized for 2009 and any increase in the dispensing fee may result in out of pocket payments by consumers who are members of medical schemes.
Our concern relates to Section 22G of the Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act which asserts that the Minister of Health may only make regulations on an appropriate dispensing fee on the recommendation of the Pricing Committee. This point was highlighted by the Constitutional Court in its judgement in 2005 on the Medicine Pricing regulations. Regulations also stipulate that the process to arrive at a dispensing fee must be transparent and that the fee must be appropriate.
We look forward to the consultative process mandated by the Act in terms of which interested parties can make representations on proposed regulations.
There is an urgent need in South Africa for government to promote affordability and equity in healthcare services and therefore urge the Minister of Health to take a balanced view and to take into account the constitutional right to access to healthcare in all her dealings with providers of healthcare services.

For further information, please contact Heidi Kruger, Head of Corporate Communications on 011 5370237 or 0829051161

About BHF
The Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa is the representative body of 95% of medical schemes throughout South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe.