As per the notice published on 29 November 2013, the Competition Commission will conduct a market inquiry into the private healthcare sector. The terms of reference were also set out and an independent panel of experts have been appointed.
The terms of reference define the private healthcare sector as “that portion of healthcare services that is funded by private patients, either through medical schemes, insurance, or out- of -pocket payments”. The terms of reference divide the markets into three broad categories: the financing of healthcare, the providers of healthcare services and consumables.
The panel is required to conduct an analysis of the interrelationships of various markets in the private healthcare sector, including examining the contractual relationships and interactions between and within the health service providers, the contribution of these dynamics to total private expenditure on healthcare, the nature of competition within and between these markets and ways in which competition can be promoted.
HPCSA is in a process of establishing a multidisciplinary task team to be an interface or a point of contact with the Competition Commission for the duration of the inquiry. The task team is comprised of practitioners with the requisite skills and knowledge in provision of healthcare services by different professions; health economics and in the provision of private healthcare in South Africa.
The task team will undertake a comprehensive consultative process whereby public hearings are held with various stakeholders. They will then review comments and feedback provided through the below processes and provide a final report. The deadline for completion of the inquiry is 30 November 2015.
Remaining activities:
Public hearings: 1 May 2015 – 31 July 2015
Prepare provisional report: August – September 2015
Publish provisional report for comment: September 2015
Receive stakeholder comments on provisional report: October 2015
Final report: November 2015
Last Updated on 21 May 2015 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs