FANews
FANews
RELATED CATEGORIES
Category Healthcare
SUB CATEGORIES General  |  HIV |  Medical Schemes | 

Healthcare peers recognise AfroCentric’s Medscheme for membership service excellence

20 November 2020 The AfroCentric Group
Phase 1 - Proposed

Phase 1 - Proposed

The administrator of some of SA’s largest medical schemes achieved significant service improvement amidst a global pandemic

JSE-listed AfroCentric Group’s subsidiary, Medscheme, was recognised by its peers for the excellence of service it provides to its medical aid members, a significant achievement for the company that manages some of South Africa’s largest medical aid schemes.

At a virtual awards ceremony last week, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) presented Medscheme with the Titanium Award for Service to Membership, beating out some strong competition from other industry giants. BHF is an industry association representing the majority of medical schemes across South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Lesotho. As a result, it is comprised of competitors within the industry, making Medscheme’s award all the more meaningful as it was awarded by its peers.

The Service to Membership Award assesses and recognises efforts by medical schemes, managed care organisations and/or administrators in how they provide excellent service to their respective members. Medscheme’s turnaround time of 10.71 days from claim submission to payment indicates the positive working partnership between administrator and provider, and contributed to Medscheme’s win. The winner of the award is selected by peers within the healthcare sector and industry experts.

“The Titanium Award from BHF speaks volumes about Medscheme staff’s commitment, effort and hard work in looking after our client schemes and their customers. This is particularly commendable this year as our country, and the world, was dealing with the challenge of Covid-19,” says AfroCentric Group CEO Ahmed Banderker. “It is not easy to maintain – or improve – service standards during a global pandemic, the likes of which the world has not experienced in more than 100 years. That Medscheme did so and has been recognised by our peers is heartening.”

As a Group, AfroCentric is focused on transforming healthcare by increasing access to sustainable, affordable and quality healthcare. Important to the Group, too, is that its members receive excellent service, and world-class medical assistance. The BHF award confirms the Group’s commitment to this.

Appointed as the “administrator intermediary” between Mediclinic and the Western Cape Department of Health (WCDoH), Medscheme assisted the contracting and claims processing for targeted independent Healthcare Professionals (HCP) in the provision of healthcare and related services for referred State Covid-19 patients. Through this process, Medscheme provides IT infrastructure that serves as backbone for the process of treating State Covid-19 patients referred to private hospitals, when the State’s bed capacity in public hospitals were depleted.

Medscheme has the largest and most comprehensive branch network and during the lockdown, the ability to keep this network functional and in service is one to be proud of. With claim turnaround times averaging at 10.7 days from submission to payment or rejection and a 90% score of resolving queries first time indicates the positive working partnership between administrator and provider.

“I am proud of each and every person within Medscheme, for continuously striving to be the best – this award is testimony of your efforts and could only be achieved through your dedication to your day-to-day work responsibilities,” said Banderker.

Banderker also congratulated another AfroCentric subsidiary, MMED, which was a finalist in the Excellence in Creating Access to Quality Healthcare category at the Titanium Awards.

 

Quick Polls

QUESTION

South Africa went to Davos to pitch itself as an investor-friendly destination, then signed an Expropriation Act. What message does this send to global investors?

ANSWER

Invest at your peril
SA is open for business
Two steps forward, one land grab back
Welcome to Hotel California
fanews magazine
FAnews February 2025 Get the latest issue of FAnews

This month's headlines

Unseen risks: insuring against the impact of AI gone wrong
Machine vs human: finding the balance
Is embedded insurance the end of traditional broker channels?
Client aspirations take centre stage as advisers rethink retirement planning
Maximise TFSA contributions before year-end
Subscribe now