SA Health Practitioner Insurance Repealed

Health Practitioner in South Africa not allowed to have indemnity cover This is due to problems found in the regulations for cover due to unresolved issues.

Proposed regulations to force all South African health practitioners to take out indemnity cover have been repealed by the the Minister of Health.

This follows problems found in the regulations due to unresolved issues.

As for now, no health practitioners are obliged to have any form of cover, until things have been sorted.

There are many issues that need to be addressed before the regulations can be put into action.

For example, it needs to be decided who will provide the indemnity cover.

Experts believe that there is no reason to limit the indemnity provider to South African insurers when groups such as Lloyds or the Medical Protection Society already do so very well.

Another thing to consider is the minimum level of indemnity that practitioners will be required to take out.

The law in its present form does not make any accommodation for these kinds of questions.

Also, answers need to be given for what period the indemnity cover is required for.

Experts also believe that indemnity cover should be broadened to cover all health service providers, and not only those that are registered with the Health Professions Council.

However, while there are no requirements by law - for now - to have cover, practitioners are still advised to take out some sort of indemnity cover for their own sakes and that of their patients.