Mr Richard Baloyi
Monday, 26 October 2009 - Sibaya Casino - KwaZulu Natal
Access to excellent healthcare for public service employees
Ladies and Gentlemen. Sanibonani, Molweni, Dumelang, Ri a vusa, Avuxeni!
When delivering his acceptance address after being elected President of South Africa in May this year, President Jacob Zuma said that during his tenure the focus would be on effective implementation. He added that Government was determined to leave an indelible mark in five areas namely: education, healthcare, rural development, the fight against crime and the creation of jobs. In the words of President Zuma: "We mean business when we talk about faster change."
The President spoke on a season of renewal and called on the public service to re-invent itself in order to meet new challenges. This is a call to arms that we have taken to heart. Ladies and Gentlemen, we mean business in the public service. And since its inception in January 2006 the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) has clearly demonstrated that it most certainly "means business" by fulfilling its mandate of extending access to affordable, quality healthcare benefits to employees in the public service.
As you well know access to excellent healthcare benefits is one of the standard service conditions that employees expect from an employer of choice, which is what the public service is becoming, as it its reinvents itself.
Following extensive research that began as far back as 1999, three major problems were identified at the time in terms of the provision of effective medial scheme benefits to employees of the public service. Let me refresh your memory - they were:
Managing a myriad of healthcare challenges effectively and ensuring a healthy workforce that can participate productively in the economy forms the cornerstone of sustainable economic growth. In so doing the many successes and considerable growth of GEMS is having a powerful, knock-on effect in the South African Public Service and on the overall economy of our country.
GEMS is setting an example to other employers who care for their employees health, it is promoting employment in the sector and it is generating significant revenue streams for public sector facilities and independent practitioners.
On the subject of "faster change" GEMS has sustained the high membership growth rate - thereby confirming the objective of promoting access to quality healthcare services. In the past year alone the scheme has grown its membership base by an impressive one third - more than 100 000 members. GEMS now has more than 400 000 principal members and provides healthcare cover to well over a million beneficiaries, which means that it provides healthcare cover to 2% of all South Africans. Over 50% of GEMS' members previously did not access the employer subsidy for medical schemes. This means that in excess of 500 000 of these individuals did not previously enjoy medical scheme cover and that they now do. What makes these facts and figures so remarkable is that the impressive growth of the past year was achieved in a recessionary economic climate. That more than 145 000 employees on Salary Level 1-5 have enrolled on GEMS, and not only on an option where they enjoy fully subsidized cover, is remarkable. The Scheme's efficient pricing and operating costs have created a contribution level that even the lowest earners can enjoy.
The 2010 benefit offering confirms the Scheme's responsiveness to member direction as many of the new benefits on offer in 2010 emanate from member requests received during the past year. Despite these enhanced benefits the monthly contributions remain highly competitive. Verification of the value-for-money offering is the fact that fewer than 6% of GEMS members changed their benefit options during December 2008 while 72% of those members who chose to change their option elected to purchase more comprehensive options.
Access, affordability and healthcare have been touched on, but one needs to ask whether it is "excellent". I, as Minister for the Public Service and Administration, can't do that because you may accuse me of bias. So, let us consider what GEMS members have to say as the Scheme was established and exists for them. I recently heard about the GEMS Sisonke competition in which members were invited to write in to explain how their lives were touched by the service offering of the Scheme. Was this a bold act - or an act of quiet confidence? Let me tell you ... the reality is that the Scheme received an overwhelmingly positive response from people like Mary Gama, a teacher from this very province, whose two week old son was critically ill and had problems breathing. GEMS arranged a helicopter to transport him to hospital thereby saving his life. Like Suzan Malindi, an administration clerk from Mfatsane, whose baby daughter was burnt by a drip after birth. GEMS covered all her medical bills - just like a "second husband"!
The stories go on and on - there's Faith Motlhabane a principal data typist from Krugersdorp whose mother fell seriously ill - Leon Krause, a teacher from Robertson in the Cape who had calluses removed from his vocal cords, had a total knee replacement and was treated for a heart attack!
All of these individuals - and we know of a great many more - have experienced firsthand that there is more to GEMS than a mere condition of service, a subsidy and member numbers. GEMS's success as a medical scheme serves as positive proof that Government, as an employer, can indeed make an indelible mark. That the Public Service can change. That it can identify solutions. And that it can deliver. In fact - as the President himself said: We mean business when we talk about faster change."
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen
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