The Health Funders Association says if the Competition Commission finds the three biggest private pathology laboratories guilty of colluding in their charges for COVID-19 PCR tests, they must pay back the money to its members.
The group has approached the Competition Commission to request it investigate Pathcare, Ampath and Lancet.
If successful, the association believes it could get back an estimated R1-billion which 35 medical aid schemes, which are among the complainants, had paid out.
Profmed chief executive Craig Comrie says, “The Council for Medical Schemes, in fact, laid their own complaint regarding the cost of PCR testing. During that engagement, the price was dropped from R850 to R500. But, we still have evidence that indicates that there is a discrepancy between the cost and the price that is charged by these pathology groups.”
The video below from December 12, 2021 reports on Lancet and Amphath agreeing to reduce the price for COVID-19 PCR test to R500:
