GAUTENG LEGISLATURE APPROVES 4.9% HOSPITAL TARIFF INCREASE

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Committee on Scrutiny of Subordinate Legislation (CSSL) has approved regulations which gives effect to the annual adjustment fee of 4.9% on services payable by patients at Provincial hospitals, mortuaries and for ambulance services.

These amended regulations were presented by the Gauteng Department of Health for approval by the Committee and will come into effect from 1 July 2020.

The Provincial Government is compelled by legislation to present every provincial regulation for scrutiny and approval by the Legislature prior to them being passed.

The regulations gives authorization to the Department of Health to make adjustments to these fees on an annual basis to ensure that the Department generates revenue to contribute to the Provincial fiscus in order to respond to the ever increasing demand of quality health care services in the Province.

In approving these adjustments, the Committee took into consideration the current unfavorable economic environment brought about by Covid 19 and its impact on ordinary citizens as well as the need for the Provincial Government to generate revenue in order to strengthen its capacity to provide much needed health care services.

The Committee noted that the fee adjustments are necessary to ensure public hospitals have necessary resources to operate effectively.

The Committee further took into consideration that not all patients will be subjected to paying for these services and that there are specific circumstances put in place to exempt patients who fall within certain categories from paying such as unemployment.

The following categories of patients are exempted from paying for health care services: