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George Maponga in Masvingo
The Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZiMA) wants medical aid societies in the country to be regulated amid reports that in 2024, they collected an estimated US$600 million in monthly premiums for medical insurance.
The Government has initiated steps to put medical aid societies under the purview of the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC).
The move will lead to oversight of the multi-million-dollar sector that has largely remained unregulated, a situation ZiMA laments.
ZiMA president Dr Kudzai Masinire said it is imperative to regulate medical aid societies and stem recurrent reports of maladministration and other malfeasances like fraud that have rocked the health insurance industry in the past.
Dr Masire praised the Government for proactively moving to protect members of medical aid societies.
“The right to healthcare for all citizens and permanent residents is guaranteed in Section 76 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“The efforts by the Government of Zimbabwe to deliver health services to the population are complemented by the private sector.”
Dr Masinire said ZiMA is relieved that the Government has finally reacted to the organisation’s persistent calls for regulation of the medical aid societies’ industry.
“For the greater part of the past two decades, The Zimbabwe Medical Association has walked on many avenues and lobbied at many fora in an endeavour to get the medical aid societies better regulated for the betterment of the fraternity and the health outcomes of the nation,” he said.
“The health funders are running a multimillion-dollar industry annually with very little if any oversight role on their operations.”
“In 2024, it is estimated that private funders received more than US$600 million through monthly premiums paid by about 10 percent of the population of Zimbabwe,” said Dr Masinire.
Online Reporter