Medical aids 'spy on doctors'

02 July 2017 - 12:45
By Tanya Steenkamp and Matthew Savides
Doctor's appointment Picture: Free Stock Image
Doctor's appointment Picture: Free Stock Image

Doctors have accused South Africa’s biggest medical aid schemes of spying on them and sneaking hidden cameras into their consulting rooms‚ the Sunday Times reported.

It said the healthcare practitioners also claim the schemes are guilty of withholding payment from doctors without proof of misconduct.

These startling claims‚ the newspaper said‚ are contained in documents filed in the High Court in Pretoria last week by the National Healthcare Professionals Association‚ in a claim against 19 medical aid schemes.

 The association accuses the medical aid schemes of acting like “police‚ prosecutors and prison warders”.

But the medical aids this week denied any wrongdoing‚ saying fraud and false claims were on the rise and amounted to millions of rand a year‚ the newspaper reported.