Collaboration: The key to a sustainable healthcare solution

The 2023 GIBS/PPS Healthcare Industry Insights Conference took place in Johannesburg at the end of August bringing together representatives from government, civil society, medical schemes and the private healthcare industry to address challenges and opportunities in the sector.

As attendees heard from speakers including Dr Richard Friedland, Dr Nicholas Crisp, and Dr Ryan Noach, it became increasingly clear that, far from being a run-of-the-mill sectoral recap, the event was an opportunity to articulate both a vision of an improved South African healthcare system, and to commit to its realisation through a spirit of collaboration and partnership.

Even in optimal circumstances, the provision of national healthcare faces numerous difficulties and obstacles, and recent years have pushed it to its limits. Numerous healthcare facilities and providers, particularly in the public healthcare sector, find themselves lacking sufficient resources and staff, yet they are constantly pressured to achieve more with fewer resources. The private healthcare sector, with more capacity and expertise, persists with remarkable determination, actively pursuing solutions ranging from low-cost benefit options to technologically advanced and value-based care. Herein lies the opportunity to collaborate!

The primary goal continues to be delivering greater healthcare value to a growing number of all South Africans.

I would like to give credit to PPS Healthcare Administrators, who partnered with GIBS and sponsored this conference, creating an opportunity for discussion and the sharing of insights. This was underpinned by the wealth of expertise that was evident in the presentations and insights shared by leaders in the industry, and a very strong desire to collaborate with government towards a sustainable healthcare solution. Healthcare is a deeply interconnected and interdependent system facing a myriad of serious threats. If we don't collaborate things aren't going to work; that's the bottom line.

Collaboration is an integral part of Bankmed's culture and operations. As one of the oldest restricted medical schemes in the country - having held our 109th annual general meeting in June 2023 - our lasting success has been fundamentally premised on the strength of our partnerships with South Africa's leading financial institutions and their employees. Our trustees comprise of representatives from institutions that are pillars of the South African economy.

We also view our most important stakeholders - our members - as partners who collaborate on a shared vision of better value. This requires humility and a constant willingness to learn and engage. We pay particular attention to their views and experiences, and take our accountability to their needs very seriously. We deeply appreciate our engaged members who provide robust feedback and input. This has allowed us to continually enhance our services and the value of our offerings.

Inequalities in access to good quality healthcare services are a significant concern for all South Africans. Our work is informed by the best interests of our members specifically, and fellow South Africans in general, and we are committed to finding solutions that will take us forward.

In an independent analysis conducted by NMG Consulting and peer-reviewed by financial services group Alexforbes, Bankmed members were found to pay lower contributions and receive richer benefits, resulting in substantially better value (with value defined as the quality of benefits provided at a certain level of contribution).

The operations and service environment through which Bankmed's better value is delivered support the Scheme's commitment to a best-in-class member experience. Alexforbes found that "... each of Bankmed's options offers relatively higher richness compared to options charging similar contribution rates, or relatively lower contributions compared to options offering similar benefit richness. Bankmed's products are even more valuable for lower income groups, who are able to enjoy rich benefits for relatively low contributions."

We strongly believe in a vision of expanded access to quality healthcare, and in the significant role that medical schemes will continue to play in collaboration with governmental and industry bodies, and fellow private-sector participants. We thus remain fully engaged in industry discussions to influence how the healthcare landscape changes.

There are many issues with healthcare in South Africa, and they are not limited to the public sector - we are under no illusions that the private healthcare system is perfect. What is clear is that there is a boundless commitment to addressing these issues and building a stronger system together.

Cooperation between the private and public sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the ability of the two sectors to work together. Collaboration is not a buzzword: if we are to build a stronger healthcare system then multi-stakeholder collaboration is the only conceivable way we will do so.