A memorandum of understanding between the Competition Commission and the Council for Medical Schemes gazetted during the weekend is expected, among other things, to facilitate the implementation of recommendations emerging from the commission’s Health Market Inquiry, reports Legalbrief.
Effective since 25 March, notes Legalbrief's Pam Saxby, it commits the two institutions to ‘timeously’ providing each other with the information required in reaching decisions on merger and acquisition transactions and anti-competitive practice complaints involving medical schemes, their administrators and brokers; investigations into these matters; and industry-specific ‘research developments or studies’ relating to health market inquiry outcomes.
Specifying the procedures and processes to be observed in giving effect to the memorandum, the document refers expressly to health inquiry recommendations impacting on the council. These include ‘the development of a single base package for medical schemes’ aligned with a prescribed minimum benefits review. Providing for the establishment of a joint working committee, the memorandum is underpinned by confidentiality obligations; terminates any previous agreements; includes dispute resolution provisions; may not be varied other than by way of formal amendments; and will be reviewed as required.
Full Legalbrief report (Restricted access)
Final Recommendations of the Health Market Inquiry (Open access)