THE Gauteng department of health has announced an adjustment to the Uniform Patient Fee Schedule, which will see an increase in public health patient fees from April 1.
Proposed tariffs were gazetted at the end of February while interested people and stakeholders had a March 13 deadline to submit written comments and representations on the gazetted draft regulations.
https://38db90fda5bb086391bc7c72f74796a0.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-41/html/container.html The increase in patient fees will be applicable in public hospitals, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), mortuaries and differentiated amenities (Folateng Wards).
The new tariffs will only come into effect after approval has been given by the Gauteng provincial legislature, said Motalatale Modiba, the department of health’s head of communications.
Here are the adjustments to the fees:
- A 4.4% increase across all categories of patients receiving treatment at state health facilities and differentiated amenities.
- A 30% increase in EMS standby tariffs, these are charges for major events requiring EMS services on site, in compliance with the South African Special Risks Insurance Association Act.
“The revised fees will apply to all categories of patients, including medical schemes, the Road Accident Fund, Workman’s Compensation, intergovernmental organs such as the SA Police Service, non-subsidised foreign nationals treated at state health facilities, and subsidised patients except for those who qualify for free services,” said Modiba.
The above-mentioned categories of patients are as follows:
- H1: Individuals earning less than R70,000 a year and households with an income below R100,000 a year
- H2: Individuals earning less than R250,000 a year and households with an income below R350,000 a year
- H3: Individuals and households earning R250,000 or more a year
“In terms of the revised fees, an individual in the H1 category requiring an ambulance with advanced life support will now be charged R170, an increase of R10. Similarly, an H1 patient consulting a specialist practitioner at a provincial hospital will be charged R95 per visit.
“The Uniform Patient Fee Schedule billing system ensures a standardised and transparent fee structure for public hospitals, hospital mortuaries and ambulance services. This annual adjustment aligns with cost-of-living increases and inflation rates, ensuring the financial sustainability of the healthcare system,” said Modiba.
Modiba said the revised tariffs were in line with Treasury Regulation 7.3.1 and the Public Finance Management Act No.1 of 1999, which mandate the annual review of fees, charges, rates and tariffs not fixed by law but contributing to revenue collection.
“The Gauteng department of health urges all members of the public who are required to pay for services to comply with the revised Uniform Patient Fee Schedule as this contributes to the sustaining of services. The department remains committed to providing accessible, high-quality healthcare services to all residents of Gauteng,” he said.
