In a move that may have significant bearing on the controversy over the cost of private health care, government has invited the private health care sector to share pricing information, the health department said on Tuesday.
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Private health care providers, agencies and establishments were invited to provide information about the pricing of health services and business practices.
The invitation was published in the Government Gazette on Tuesday.
"The information will be used to determine the Reference Price List (RPL) for 2009."
Addressing escalating costs
The health department said the RPL was a tool to assist in addressing escalating costs in the private health sector.
"It is used to guide the setting of tariffs between health service providers and health financing institutions."
The department of health said it needed to know the income and expenditure of the private health sector.
The costs of security, insurance, labour, maintenance of premises, catering, consumables used and overhead costs needed to be provided. What the occupancy rates, billing guidelines and professional fees of the private health care sector were also needed to be known.
Medical schemes info requested
The department of health said it also needed to find out what the scale of benefits payable by medical scheme to the health establishment was.
All information submitted would be evaluated and audited, said the department.
"The information should be submitted to the Department of Health on or before the end of business on the 18th of April 2008."
A briefing section for the department and private health care providers will be held on February 21 in Pretoria. – (Sapa)
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