ActionSA member of Parliament Dr Kgosi Letlape says a class action should be instituted against medical schemes implicated in the Section 59 Report by the Council for Medical Schemes. Letlape - who is the former President of the Health Professions Council - has opened a case of fraud, intimidation and extortion against the implicated medical schemes at the Lyttelton Police Station in Pretoria.
The Section 59 report by Council for Medical Schemes found that claims by black health professionals were more likely to be flagged for alleged fraud, waste or abuse by schemes like Discovery, Gems and Medscheme.
The Section 59 Panel Report found that registered counsellors and social workers were among those mostly affected and discriminated. Clinical Social Worker Nomaefese Gatsheni has been practicing for the past 12 years.
Shes among the black professionals who had their claims flagged for alleged fraud, waste, or abuse by the medical aid scheme.
Social workers are not only discriminated by the colour of their skin. They further get discriminated by the inner profession that everyone looks down on them while they are doing the most work. If you had a patient that came to the hospital and the patient that has seen a social worker or a psychologist you will need to have to interview that patient and ask what were the benefits on this side and that side. Now for the schemes to just decide that the social worker is not worthy to receive this, while social workers are jack of all trades it is extremely disturbing.