Motsoaledi concerned by racial discrimination against black healthcare providers by medical schemes

JOHANNESBURG - Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi said he’s shocked at the dramatic change in how medical aid schemes and administrators treat black healthcare providers after a report confirmed allegations of racial discrimination and unfair practices.

Motsoaledi received the long-awaited Section 59 panel report on Monday.

The report exposes procedural unfairness and a power imbalance that disproportionately impacts black medical professionals.

Motsoaledi said the complaints filed in 2019 opened his eyes to some of the injustices.

READ: Panel finds some medical aid schemes racially discriminated against black service providers

“We didn’t know that black doctors are being cheated. As I told you, it’s a relationship between a doctor and the scheme - we only knew when they came to lodge a claim with the Council of Medical Schemes.

"Me, during our time, these things did not happen because in our time, I told you patients didn’t have to sign anything. It just shows that as the system advances, we start to see problems.”