The Board of Healthcare Funders

The Board of Healthcare Funders

BHF is the representative organisation for 95% of medical schemes throughout South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. As the industry representative body, the organisation relies on the membership of all medical schemes to ensure that it is able to lobby government and other organisations effectively and to influence policy where necessary on behalf of the entire industry.

BHF has recently expanded its internal research capacity to ensure that it is favourably positioned to analyse regulatory interventions and propose position papers, for which there is a significant need. Through the recruitment of an experienced economist whose expertise lies in policy development, BHF is increasingly able to analyse proposed regulations timeously and ensure that it develops a focused response which represents the best interests of medical schemes. This, together with the recruitment of a clinician in the benefit and risk department has allowed the organisation to service its membership on an operational level as well as to influence policy through effective lobbying on health policy issues.