Collective Activism key to addressing healthcare issues - Board of Healthcare Funders Conference 2014

Local, regional and international healthcare professionals and industry players will meet later this month for the 15th annual Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) Southern African Conference, with the intention of addressing pertinent issues and solutions within the healthcare industry. The event is set to take place from 24th – 27th August 2014 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC).

The annual event attracts approximately 900 delegates from the healthcare industry, including; local, regional and international healthcare executives, healthcare professionals, policy makers and regulators. These key players convene to discuss the prominent issues affecting their organisations and the healthcare industry as a whole.

According to Dr Humphrey Zokufa, Managing Director of the BHF, it is essential that the private healthcare sector examines ways in which it can expand coverage to all working people in South Africa. “As the representative body for the medical scheme population, we believe that key reforms are required in the private sector for it to be able to offer lower cost medical aid and thereby support government’s efforts for universal coverage of affordable, quality healthcare.”

Under the main theme of this year’s conference, Waves of Change. Oceans of Opportunity, speakers will explore ways in which affordability could be attained through collective action between players within the private sector and between the public and private sectors within the healthcare industry. The four key themes central to the conference programme for this year’s event are; Strategic Leadership; Collective Activism; The Value Agenda; and, the Expansion of the Role of Medical Schemes.

Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, will join the list of distinguished local and international speakers and industry leaders, as they focus their discussions on the tools required to achieve an efficiency-based, patient-centred private health system.

“Quality of care and the rising cost of healthcare is an issue around the world”, says Dr Zokufa. “The health sector has realised that a new strategy and approach is needed. Ultimately, the goal is to maximise value for patients by ensuring that the best health outcomes are achieved at the lowest possible cost.”

He says that it is vital that we re-examine the way in which we reimburse healthcare providers for services rendered to focus more on the outcomes achieved. “To address this, one of the focus areas of the conference will be looking at the value agenda and why this is so important for funders, providers and consumers.”

“A number of the speakers will address delegates on solutions and models that will assist in improving health care quality and standards and improving health outcomes whilst lowering healthcare costs,” he says.

In addition to this, Dr Anban Pillay, DDG of Health Regulatory and Compliance Management at the National Department of Health), will speak on aligning a revision of the Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMB’s) to universal access and why this is a priority. His presentation will explore why progressive reform is needed to realise affordable private health for all employed South Africans, which includes focusing on aligning incentives between the private and the public sectors.

Gavin Steel, Chief Director of Sector Wide Procurement will speak on the costing and utilisation of the Essential Drugs List (EDL) for a revised benefit package – which has been seen as an integral part to ensuring that the efforts to attaining affordable health care are met.

“Affordable medicine is a key component of this,” adds Dr Zokufa. “Their presentations will touch on how, through public-private partnerships (PPP’s) and the creation of centres of excellence, previously high-cost diseases can be made more affordable.”

Delegates will also be turning their attention to the discussions around the Competition Commission’s enquiry into the private healthcare sector; the debate on the demarcation between health insurance policies and medical schemes; digital healthcare – strategies for navigating the changing healthcare technology landscape; regional initiatives to promoting access to affordable healthcare in the SADC regions; as well as emerging trends in healthcare fraud.

International speakers include:

• CEO of Private Healthcare Australia, The Honourable Dr Michael Armitage
• Former CEO of the UK NHS and global health expert, Lord Nigel Crisp
• Berlin-based health economist and public health specialist, Professor Michael Thiede

Local experts include:

• Professor Hoosen ‘Jerry’ Coovadia: Member of the National Planning Commission and healthcare activist
• Professor Nick Binedell: Expert in the field of Strategic Leadership and Dean of GIBS
• Dr Jonathan Broomberg: CEO of Discovery Health
• Dr Guni Goolab: PO of GEMS
• Christoff Raath: CEO of Health Monitor Company
• Dr Anban Pillay: DDG, Health Regulatory and Compliance Management, NDoH (tbc)
• Professor Alex van den Heever: Chair, Social Security Systems Administration and Management studies, Wits School of Governance
• Dr Debbie Pearmain: Independent legal expert