| Facts behind the hype – Competition Commission’s inquiry into private healthcare, the NHI Bill and the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill … what the media and public need to know
Speakers: Mike Settas and Dr Johann Serfontein
The preliminary findings of the Competition Commission’s Health Market Inquiry (HMI) into the private healthcare sector, the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill and the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill – have all been published for public comment.
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- The Bills give the Health Minister unfettered powers over health resources
- The Bills effectively nationalise the private health sector into the NHI
- The NHI is unaffordable, unworkable and will destroy the private healthcare sector leaving a failed public health service in its wake
Michael Settas will provide a detailed overview of both the NHI and Medical Schemes Amendment Bills and provide commentary on their potential ramifications for citizens.
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- The long-awaited preliminary findings of the Competition Commission’s Health Market Inquiry (HMI) have been published for public comment, but the hopes of the Minister of Health that the Inquiry would prove excessive pricing is responsible for increasing costs have largely been dashed
- The report points to utilisation being a large driver of the increasing costs, which are partly driven by providers themselves
- Some scheme administrators have been accused of excessive profit taking but government failures in regulation were cited as adding to increased cost pressures in the system
Dr Johann Serfontein will unpack these and other issues raised by the Competition Commission.
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WEDNESDAY, 15 August 2018
11h00 – 11h30 Registration (sandwiches, tea & coffee will be available)
11h30 – 13h30 Presentation & discussion
Venue
Free Market Foundation, Block 5 Bryanston Gate, 170 Curzon Road, Bryanston
(opposite Sandton Medi-Clinic)
Entrance free
RSVP by clicking on http://www.freemarketfoundation.com/View-Event?i=189 – NB please register each attendee separately
Guests welcome
(If you have already responded or cannot join us, no need to RSVP)
You will be able to watch this event LIVE via the FMF’s Facebook page by clicking this link: https://www.facebook.com/FMFSA/
Background
Michael Settas is an independent consultant specialising in the health funding industry. He is co-founder of health insurer, Xelus, and was MD of that business for 10 years. He specialises in developing growth, stabilisation and management strategies for health funders to achieve growth and superior underwriting performance. He has delivered numerous talks on strategies for sustainable health financing and written extensively on the existing regulatory framework for South Africa’s private healthcare system and government’s proposed NHI. Michael qualified in electrical engineering at Wits Technikon (NHD LC, 1991) and is also a qualified Certified Financial Planner (UFS, 1997).
Dr Johann Serfontein is a member of the Free Market Foundation’s Health Policy Unit. He is a senior healthcare consultant at Healthman, which administers 23 provider societies and management groups including the South African Private Practitioners Forum. Due to Healthman’s commitments to the various provider groupings, a thorough analysis of policies such as NHI is required. As a policy researcher, this falls in Johann’s domain. Johann has 18 years healthcare industry experience. He obtained a PhD at age 29 and completed his MBA in 2014.
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