n South African Gastroenterology Review - Private practice review : codes, tariffs, the Competition Commission and NHI : private practice review

Abstract

There are major stumbling blocks in brokering remuneration and new coding and billing structures. The Competition Commission reigned in the abilities of service providers to negotiate fees. A surrogate replacement process to determine a cost-based Reference Price List (RPL) was an expensive failure. Legally there is no longer a RPL, nor a National Benchmark of tariffs (although the legal framework for it is still in existence and could be implemented without the requirement of an exemption from the Competition Act).