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Health Reporter
The proposed medical aid societies regulatory board should re-visit the issue of annual licensing as it creates uncertainties on practising health insurers, the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has said. In a statement released ahead of the AHFoZ debate on the board’s composition and roles slated for Friday, the association said supervisory structures should be put in place to replace the annual registrations.

“AHFoZ would like to see the annual licensing of medical aid societies re-visited due to the uncertainties that annual registration creates with robust supervisory structures being put in place instead,” it said.

AHFoZ said the structures would ensure protection of all stakeholders’ interests while identifying possible signs of distress for each individual insurer at an early stage. “This could be achieved through off-site or on-site examinations to ensure a medical aid society’s viability,” AHFoZ said.

AHFoZ’s position paper stipulated that the proposed Act of Parliament must encourage an environment conducive for business. “Its application should not be onerous for medical aid societies but should create an environment where local and international entrepreneurs are encouraged to establish medical aid societies and enhance the provision of healthcare in Zimbabwe,” said AFHoZ.

The association further challenged gazetting of medical price controls, arguing that a scientific tariff could solve the impasse between the insurers and the service providers. It said the board should also issue corrective orders to enforce compliance on existing regulations and well defined circumstances in which de-registration or cancellation of a licence could occur.

“With medical aid societies having in recent years experienced an increase in fraudulent activities by both medical aid society members and healthcare providers, AHFoZ would like to see the proposed Act introducing mechanisms to protect medical aid societies from such behaviour,” it said.

In a recent interview, Health and Child Care Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji said the proposed Act would solve differences between medical aid societies and service providers. He said Government has since began consultations for the Bill to ensure all stakeholders’ concerns are addressed.

“Once the Bill is passed into law, it is expected to address a myriad of challenges in the health sector. “The objective of the Bill is to strengthen governance and efficiency in the health insurance sector and it is not about disrupting those aspects of the systems that are currently functioning well,” said Dr Gwinji.