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News24 reports that medical aid Samwumed has announced it would be dropping Melomed facilities from its list of providers after failed attempts to negotiate an agreement with the National Hospital Network (NHN), which includes the Melomed Group.
The move has left patients who previously used Melomed facilities fuming. Dumisane Magagula, general secretary of the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), said the union planned to engage the medical aid on the decision. "We will be in touch with our structures and Samwumed's principal officer. We have an arrangement that where there is one provider in the area, they should be accredited. Members can't be travelling long distances to access healthcare outside of their areas," he indicated. Magagula pointed out that union members signed up for medical insurance because they could not afford out-of-pocket costs that occurred in private healthcare, and the burden of additional transport costs would severely impact medical aid members. Samwumed's chief operating officer, Philippa Escreet, explained that the agreement with the NHN, which had commenced on 1 January 2021, had expired, and negotiations for a new agreement had been unsuccessful. "It should be made clear that neither the NHN Group nor the Melomed Group were prepared to come to a mutual agreement with Samwumed and that Samwumed exhausted all avenues to come to a mutual agreement with Melomed and the NHN," she claimed. But, the NHN group argued that the reasons for the termination were unfounded. The Samwumed 2025 network includes alternatives like Netcare and Mediclinic, with specific recommendations for members previously using Melomed facilities.
Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
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