“Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has gazetted an interim block exemption covering Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) and non-PMBs, permitting healthcare funders to bypass certain provisions of the Competition Act.
The exemption implies that, for the next three years, healthcare stakeholders will be allowed to engage in collective tariff negotiations. – Business Day (17 Feb 2025)
“The Multilateral Negotiating Forum (MLNF), chaired by the Department of Health, will supervise the establishment of maximum tariffs for PMBs and non-PMBs. The policy aligns with recommendations from the Health Market Inquiry (HMI), which was conducted in 2019 and chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo.
“The inquiry recommended establishing an independent third-party supply-side healthcare regulator to oversee transparent pricing negotiations among private-sector stakeholders.
“Although the policy could help control rising private healthcare costs, concerns remain over the government’s role in setting tariffs and how this could impact the broader private healthcare landscape.”