The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has urged Parliament to reject proposed amendments to the Medical Aid Services Regulations, warning that the changes could exceed the powers provided by law, infringe constitutional rights and undermine access to affordable healthcare.
Presenting oral submissions before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, AHFoZ Board Chairperson Stanford Sisya said the association was seeking to assist legislators in determining whether the proposed regulations were legally and constitutionally sound.
“These oral submissions are therefore directed at assisting the committee to consider whether the proposed amendment is lawful, constitutionally sound, and appropriate for introduction through subsidiary legislation,” he said.
The proposed amendments would bar medical aid societies, as well as their subsidiaries and related entities, from owning, operating, managing or holding interests in healthcare service providers.
According to Sisya, the regulations would also compel affected medical aid societies to submit divestment plans and dispose of their investments within a specified period.
He argued that the changes would dismantle integrated healthcare models that have enabled medical aid providers to invest members’ contributions in healthcare infrastructure.
“In practical terms, the amendment would dismantle existing integrated healthcare models through which medical aid societies have invested member-funded resources in clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, hospitals, and related healthcare infrastructure,” Sisya said.
AHFoZ told the parliamentary committee that its submissions focused on the legality of the proposed regulations, constitutional issues, delegated legislative authority, property rights and the appropriate use of subsidiary legislation.
The association maintained that the proposed amendments, in their current form, should not be approved.
“Our central submission is that the proposed amendment should not be supported in its current form,” he said.
Sisya said any reforms affecting the structure and operation of the medical aid sector should be introduced through primary legislation rather than statutory regulations.
He argued that such reforms should only follow comprehensive parliamentary debate, stakeholder consultations and an assessment of their likely impact on the healthcare system.
“If reform is required, Chair, it should proceed through primary legislation, after proper parliamentary debate, evidence-based impact assessment, consultation with affected members, and coordination with the Competition and Tariff Commission,” he said.
The proposed amendments form part of wider efforts to regulate Zimbabwe’s medical aid sector. Parliament is expected to consider submissions from stakeholders before making recommendations on whether the regulations should proceed.
