Cash
up front for treatment
Doctors have stuck to their guns and stated tha patients will, from July 1 this year, pay cash upfront after doctors accused the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) of taxing them for claims that have not yet been honoured by medical aid societies.
The doctors say patients must now pay cash upfront and claim reimbursements from medical aid societies.
Dr Shingi Bopoto, the Zimbabwe Medical Association (Zima) secretary general, yesterday said doctors were being forced to borrow money to settle tax obligations for money that they have not received.
“Zimra charges tax on money accrued to doctors, whether they’ve been paid or not."
“Due to non-payment by health insurers, doctors have to borrow money to pay their tax obligations. This isn’t a sustainable situation. No doctor or service provider can afford that.”
He said as from July 1, patients will pay cash to the doctors and take their receipts to their medical aid societies for reimbursement.
“That will be the arrangement until the regulator, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, forces medical aid societies to pay doctors.
The doctors say some medical schemes owe them money from as far back as 2009.
Both Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa and his Permanent Secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji could not be reached for comment yesterday as they were said to be out of the country.
Recently, the Government threatened to cancel licences for medical aid societies who were not meeting their obligations, giving them a June 30 deadline.
- Herald
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