HARARE, Apr. 29 (NewsDay Live) – ZIMBABWE could see a decline in medical aid uptake if proposed regulatory changes weaken the role of fund-owned healthcare facilities, industry stakeholders warned on Wednesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a breakfast meeting, Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) chief executive Shylet Sanyanga said the reforms risk limiting access to affordable care, particularly for insured patients who rely on medical aid-linked facilities as a safety net.
“There are several challenges,” Sanyanga said.
“These healthcare facilities are giving services to Zimbabweans. It means access will be affected because there is going to be a reduction of the facilities whereby members can access healthcare services at lower prices.”
She added that the changes could erode medical aid societies’ bargaining power, which helps shield members from excessive charges.
“Also, the ability to access quality healthcare services at lower costs will be taken away. Then it takes away, maybe, the bargaining power for medical aid societies because medical aid societies always bargain on behalf of the patient. They are contributing members. Those facilities have been a fall-back position,” she said.
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Sanyanga noted that fund-owned facilities have historically cushioned patients facing high shortfalls or inflated fees.
“They can still decide to say, if they can't afford the shortfall, they can go to the fund-owned facility, so that will be taken away,” she said.
Concerns were echoed by labour representatives, who warned of the real impact on workers.
Institute of People Management of Zimbabwe representative Timotena Bishakai-Fett cited a case where a patient facing a US$600-per-night charge at a private hospital was transferred to a medical aid-owned facility, paying just US$30 after three days.
“We need to have proper access to care without a huge out-of-pocket layout, and this is something that medical aids have been able to provide,” she said.
The elderly are also at risk. Doug Bramson, chief executive of Masca, said pensioners had appealed to him to oppose the amendments, fearing rising shortfalls would make medical aid unaffordable.
“A lot of pensioners will be affected,” he said.
Legal and regulatory concerns also surfaced, with participants warning that the proposed overhaul should be subjected to full parliamentary scrutiny rather than enacted through a statutory instrument.
Others cautioned that targeting vertical integration could conflict with existing competition laws, which regulate — but do not prohibit — the practice.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care chairperson Descent Collins Bajila, who presided over the meeting, called for continued consultations.
“Today's engagement should not be viewed as merely a presentation exercise, but a consultative process,” Bajila said, adding that any amendments must protect contributors, strengthen accountability and align with Zimbabwe’s push towards universal health coverage.
Stakeholders agreed that broader consultations are needed to ensure reforms balance affordability, access and sustainability in the healthcare sector.