Momentum Health says client data is not shared with the rest of its insurance business to promote products and services of the group.
In an emailed response to Fin24, Momentum senior health actuary Hannes Boshoff gave the assurance that the scheme’s administrator “has never and will never” share any scheme data.
This follows a report in Business Day on Thursday, in which the Council for Medical Schemes claimed that some administrators are using their access to consumers to sell them services from other companies within their group. Others also implicated include Discovery Health Medical Scheme, Discovery Health and Liberty Health.
“Where the scheme sends communication regarding benefit changes at year end, the administrator may include information about other non-medical aid benefits, but only insofar as it serves to enhance a client’s overall healthcare experience,” explained Boshoff. “It will also never be positioned as compulsory or in any way part of the medical aid.”
Business Day reported that the administrators will have 21 days to comment on the draft undesirable business practice declaration, which was published in the Government Gazette on August 15.
Boshoff explained that the administrator would assess the impact of the intended declaration before making comment. “Our only objective is to ensure members’ best interests are considered,” he stated.
Discovery plans to submit comments to the Council for Medical Schemes regarding the declaration, and that Discovery Health Medical Scheme and Discovery Health are not in a position to comment publicly.
The Council for Medical Schemes could not be reached for comment.