Doctors' tariff hike approved

Cape Town - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has approved a 7.9 percent hike in the health sector's reference price list (RPL), the Council for Medical Schemes said on Wednesday.

The RPL is a guide for the costs of services and procedures, such as consultations with doctors, drawn up annually following consultations.

The council said the adjustment was an "interim and temporary measure", but offered no further explanation.

The tariffs in the RPL are not binding, but a source in the medical aid industry said they did provide a "useful tool" for schemes and individual patients.

The annual adjustment in the list was normally followed by increases in actual prices, he said.

- Sapa