ANC to probe alleged racial profiling in medical aid schemes

The ANC intends to lodge a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate allegations of discrimination and racial profiling by certain medical aid schemes.

A group of black and Indian private medical practitioners have come out alleging that they are being unfairly treated by medical aid schemes, based on the colour of their skin and their ethnicity.

They claim to have received payment challenges from various medical aid schemes. They also allege that there is a national list with names of black and Indian practitioners from across the country that has been circulated among medical aid schemes, and that the names on the list are often exploitatively targeted.

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The Citizen earlier reported that Dr Gumede said in an SABC interview that they could no longer lie down and continue to be exploited financially. He claimed to have tried to reach out to the medical aid schemes, but to no avail.

In a statement, the ANC says the allegation undermines the essence of the constitutional imperative of building a non-racial South Africa, and called on the human rights commission to intervene.

“If medical aid schemes are indeed found to be guilty of such discrimination, the ANC will pursue the relevant legal and legislative process to ensure that the practice is immediately stopped, and that those responsible face the full might of the law. The ANC will not tolerate any form of racial discrimination.

“The ANC will continue to mobilise and engage a wide range of stakeholders in the healthcare sector to ensure its transformation and strengthen its ability to provide quality health-care in the context of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHI).

“The Gauteng ANC views the alleged misconduct as concerning, as it has the possibility of crippling practices across the country, rendering healthcare professionals incapable of providing quality healthcare.”

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