Johannesburg - The recently-established National Consumer
Commission has already received complaints about the medical aid industry, the
Board of Healthcare Funders of SA (BHF) said on Thursday.
Commissioner Mamodupi Mohlala told BHF delegates at a
conference in Sun City this week that her office had received a number of
complaints under the Consumer Protection Act from members who did not
understand how their medical aid rules worked.
"Mohlala was making specific reference to section 22 of
the Consumer Protection Act, which states that consumers have a right to
information in plain and understandable language," the BHF said.
She said the medical schemes industry was earmarked for
special investigation this year with preliminary discussions between the
commission and the Council for Medical Schemes held on May 25, 2011.
The commission came into effect on April 1.
Consumer law expert Matthew Gibson from Edward Nathan
Sonnenbergs said the Council for Medical Schemes was considering applying for
exemption from the act, on the grounds that the Medical Schemes Act is already
applicable.
"But the minister will have to agree that the existing
legislation offers the same protection as the Consumer Act... and the Consumer
Act is really comprehensive."
Various sections of the act apply to the medical services
sector, such as the right of consumers to full disclosure of the price of goods
and services and the provision relating to unfair, unreasonable or unjust
contract terms.
Mohlala said the commission was looking at these two
provisions relating to medical schemes.