Inkatha Freedom Party Statement By:
DR RUTH RABINOWITZ MP 
IFP HEALTH SPOKESPERSON

6 September 2007

The mythical goals of equity in health care slips ever further away, as Government leaders take centre stage and populist policies are introduced.

The latest move to achieve equity in health care through redistribution of profits in the health insurance industry continues this trend. 

Alternatives must be found to the current regulations that enable medical schemes to make millions for shareholders, increase charges to members and do nothing for the vast majority of privately employed persons. 

The Financial and Fiscal Commission, not the Register for Medical Schemes, should manage medical schemes.   

All employed persons should be required to contribute to medical schemes of their choice.  

Government should contract private insurers to offer a basic package.  

A percentage of scheme profits should be contributed to a high risk pool.  

No scheme should be entitled to pay its shareholders more than it pays its members.  

Schemes should be rigorously policed as should claimants.  This is where costs should lie and not with a regulator who cannot begin to cope with the fraud, corruption or numbers through bureaucratic measures that are full of good intentions but are not SMART (Sustainable, Measurable, Accountable, Realistic and Time bound). 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dr Ruth Rabinowitz MP: 082 579 3698