Less than a month left to have your say on Private Healthcare tariff proposals
The Western Cape Government is reminding stakeholders that there is now additional time to submit comments on the Draft Interim Block Exemption for Tariff Determination in the Healthcare Sector. The deadline has been extended 16 May 2025 and there is now less than one month left to comment.
There are also two other critical healthcare policy documents currently open for public input: the Low-Cost Benefit Option Report, with submissions due by 7 June 2025, and the National Health Insurance (NHI) Regulations, open until 14 May 2025.
The Council for Medical Schemes’ Low-Cost Benefit Option Report, submitted to the National Department of Health in 2023, explores the feasibility of allowing medical schemes to offer affordable low-cost benefit options, aimed at expanding access to private medical cover. This call for comment also provides a platform for interested stakeholders to propose alternate models for doing this. The NHI Regulations, meanwhile, outline the governance and administrative framework for the establishment of the National Health Insurance Fund.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, emphasised the importance of public participation, “There is significant movement in the healthcare policy and regulation space in South Africa. The Western Cape Government will be submitting comments on all three documents, and we strongly encourage other stakeholders to do the same. This is a pivotal moment for healthcare in our country, and the voices of all South Africans must be heard.”
“As the provincial government, our aim is to create opportunities for our residents to live long, healthy, and meaningful lives. Key to achieving this is ensuring that healthcare is accessible—regardless of where people live or what they earn.”
In the short term, greater urgency is needed to implement interventions that expand affordable access to private medical facilities. This will expand patient choice, reduce the burden on the public sector and allow for greater collaboration between the two sectors. The Draft Interim Block Exemption for Tariff Determination aims to combat medical inflation, promote affordability, and ensure sustainability through collective negotiation on tariffs for healthcare services. Principles which the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness endorses. It forms part of a broader package of reforms recommended by the Health Market Inquiry, which—if implemented together—could significantly transform the South African healthcare system.
The private sector can play a better role in our public health landscape if the system is carefully managed to serve the long-term interests of all stakeholders.
To view the Draft Interim Block Exemption for Tariff Determination in the Healthcare Sector, click here: https://www.compcom.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/za-government-gazette-dated-2025-02-14-no-52111.pdf