Health Funders’ Association (HFA) joins BUSA.

The Health Funders’ Association (HFA) has today confirmed its membership of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA).

BUSA, a formally recognised representative of organised business in South Africa at the National Economic Development and Labour Advisory Council (NEDLAC), has led and made significant strides on several challenges facing the country.

Recently, NEDLAC established a Task Team on National Health Insurance to give consideration to the White Paper on NHI published in June 2017. Through the network of business partners, BUSA has instituted several working groups which provide input to the NEDLAC NHI Task Team to address aspects of the White Paper.  Inputs from working groups, which include, governance; finance; provision; and, regulatory, will be presented to the NHI Task Team which in turn will present a document to Cabinet.

“With an annual spend of about R150 billion, we believe that it is imperative that private health funders are represented on this important structure especially as we navigate our way towards universal health care that is affordable, appropriate and sustainable for all South Africans,” said Lerato Mosiah, CEO of HFA.

Mosiah commented that amongst BUSA’S ten policy priorities was an ‘Affordable comprehensive social security framework for future generations’, adding that BUSA is committed to engaging with stakeholders in health funding space in advancing shared concerns.

HFA, which represents about half of all medical scheme members through its member medical schemes as well as administrators, Discovery Health, MMI and PPS, has pledged its commitment to providing expertise and participation in the working groups as well as the Task Team.

“Through our association with BUSA we are looking forward to constructive engagement with both business, government and organised labour with an end result that will see all South Africans being able to access good quality and affordable health care,” concluded Mosiah.