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Health Reporter
Medical aid societies and patients yesterday reacted angrily to the more than 100 percent increase in consultation fees by doctors and specialists, saying the move will lead to the total collapse of the societies as they fail to honour their obligations.
Most doctors are now charging patients US$50 for consultation up from US$20, while specialists are asking for US$120 up from US$60.
Association of Health Care Funders chief executive officer Mrs Shylet Sanyanga said the medical societies were already failing to honour claims with the US$20 fees.

“The source of our funds is subscriptions, which are deducted from the members’ salaries,” she said.
“Salaries have not been going up and members are not able to afford the increases required to meet the stated fees. Already, claims’ costs are surpassing contribution income.”

Mrs Sanyanga said while doctors increased their rates, the difference between their new fees and that which could be paid by a medical aid society was shifted to patients as shortfall or co-payment.

“What we noted from our members is that doctors are not including the full consultation fees on the claims form because there is no agreement,” she said.

“Instead, they are just including what we agreed on and pass on the difference to the patient.”
This resulted in patients on medical aid being asked to pay a certain fee before or after receiving treatment.

Mrs Sanyanga said the scenario where patients sought medical attention from other countries could only be addressed when local pricing was aligned with people’s ability to pay.

Readers of the Herald criticised the consultation fee hike in reaction to the story published in the paper yesterday.
One of the readers, Mimi, had this to say: “Oh my God, can someone really tell us what is going on. I am sure those who will survive are those that are blessed enough to afford getting treatment outside Zimbabwe as usual.

“Cash chaiyo is hard to come by on the market these days and an increase in the medical health sector will surely worsen the plight of the ordinary person on the street. It is these decisions that make the nation panic.”

Another reader who used the name Munhu said the poor would be most affected.
“No consideration for the poor. Private sector is holding people to ransom.”

Another reader was of the opinion that the doctors should be left to hike the fees.
“The private sector is being run economically,” said the reader.

“It’s being run like a business. Costing is being evaluated and the increases are being factored into the final price. If the minister starts interfering with the private sector then standards begin to fall. Short cuts will be made to contain costs and that is how standards fall.”
Munetsi Munhu said it was evident that doctors and private hospitals were making profits.

“Private hospitals are profitable and that’s why they’re still in operation,” he said.
“These guys are demanding too high returns and that’s why we have these demands.  If, as the article states, it ends up being cheaper to send a patient to South Africa, then something is fundamentally wrong with the way the business is being run because South African running costs are higher than Zimbabwe.”

The Government is expected to gazette a uniform tariff soon which Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa said would incorporate the concerns of both doctors and medical aid societies.