Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Medical fund members are suffering and there is nothing in the pipeline for the coming three to four years to ease the pain, according to Humphrey Zokufa, managing director of the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF).
He was surprised by the operating surplus that SA medical funds showed in 2011 and said this is not sustainable.
"How was it possible for medical aid schemes to have had an operating surplus in 2011 after years of running at a loss?" he asked at a media event on Wednesday.
He said one might, therefore, suspect that fund members have had to pay more for their medical expenses to enable such an operating surplus.
Most of the schemes which are BHF members have indicated that they are suffering losses due to the regulation on prescribed minimum benefits.
"We suspect benefits are becoming less, members have to pay bigger excess amounts and increases on contributions are more than the inflation rate," he said.
He foresees medical fund members experiencing current conditions for the next four years or so.
The BHF is investigating the matter.
- Fin24
He was surprised by the operating surplus that SA medical funds showed in 2011 and said this is not sustainable.
"How was it possible for medical aid schemes to have had an operating surplus in 2011 after years of running at a loss?" he asked at a media event on Wednesday.
He said one might, therefore, suspect that fund members have had to pay more for their medical expenses to enable such an operating surplus.
Most of the schemes which are BHF members have indicated that they are suffering losses due to the regulation on prescribed minimum benefits.
"We suspect benefits are becoming less, members have to pay bigger excess amounts and increases on contributions are more than the inflation rate," he said.
He foresees medical fund members experiencing current conditions for the next four years or so.
The BHF is investigating the matter.
- Fin24
