Goal is healthy understanding

Among issues of concern to healthcare consumers are issues of medical practitioners or specialists charging above medical scheme tariffs, along with the spiralling costs of healthcare treatment and medicines.

FIA healthcare intermediaries can assist consumers to choose the best options through the expert industry advice they are able to offer.

"We actually found a specialist during the course of last year who charged up to 800% more than a specific medical scheme rate, which is ludicrous. Such instances are of definite concern to consumers," says Linza van Aswegen, an FIA director and chairman of the association's healthcare exco.

"The only solution is to educate our members and consumers and this is the important role that the healthcare intermediary can play. The healthcare industry is very dynamic but unfortunately it is also very complex. To give consumers a medical scheme brochure and leave it with them without offering advice or explanations serves no purpose.

"The terminology is such that the medical scheme intermediaries themselves frequently need to update themselves, so the consumer is often unaware of what the implications are.

"We need to educate our customers and by doing so, we are also treating them fairly. With regard to FIA intermediaries, this is something we have been doing since we first opened our office doors. Without the consumer, we can't run a business.

"The role of the intermediary is not only an administrative one and about signing up a member on a medical scheme and then disappearing," says Van Aswegen. "The healthcare intermediary has the most administrative and intensive task compared to any other pillar of insurance."

Van Aswegen says that treating the consumer fairly is a fundamental principle of the FIA's healthcare intermediary services mandate.