Tinotenda Hove – A proposed government amendment targeting medical aid societies has sparked alarm, with critics warning it could deepen Zimbabwe’s already fragile healthcare system and leave patients stranded.

The Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) has strongly criticised plans to revise Statutory Instrument 330 of 2000, a move that would effectively strip medical aid societies of the right to own clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care is pushing the change, arguing that insurers should stick strictly to financing healthcare rather than providing it.

However, industry voices say the proposal is dangerously short-sighted.

AHFoZ chief executive Shylet Sanyanga did not mince her words, describing the plan as a major step backwards. “When we look at the ban or prohibition of medical aid societies from going into healthcare services, that is, banning them from owning clinics and hospitals, we believe that would be a retrogressive position. It will take away the current option that medical aid members have,” she said.

She warned that shutting down these facilities would remove a crucial safety net for patients who already struggle to access treatment. “If a service provider rejects their medical aid card, they have at least the option of going to their medical aid society’s units,” Sanyanga explained. “But if those units are forced to close, patients are left at the mercy of service providers who may not be willing to accept medical aid as a form of payment.”

Critics argue that instead of fixing systemic failures, the government is dismantling one of the few functioning alternatives. Sanyanga pointed out that these facilities are not just for insured members but serve the wider public. “If anything, those facilities are actually contributing to offering healthcare services, not only to medical aid societies’ members, but to any other patient seeking healthcare services,” she said.

Ordinary Zimbabweans are also bracing for the worst. One medical aid subscriber said the proposed changes would punish policyholders who are already battling a broken system. “The reason these clinics and pharmacies were created is that ordinary medical aid holders were failing to get services from private medical practitioners,” he said.

He described a system riddled with rejection and hidden costs. “You would be told the medical aid was not working there, so they needed cash because medical aids were delaying payments to service providers. Some would even require unnecessary top-ups.”
Instead of addressing these long-standing problems, the government appears to be sidestepping them. “Pricing is not stable.

Everyone charges what they want, depending on the desperation of the patient,” the member said. “Issues of health are a matter of life and death, so you have no choice but to pay.”
Currency instability has only made matters worse. “You go to a practitioner, they charge in US dollars; if you ask for the charge in local currency, the price triples, even surpassing black market rates,” he added.

The financial burden is already overwhelming for many families. “I pay ZiG7,000 (close to US$300) for myself and my three children, not even for the best medical aid. That is what the government should be reigning in,” he said.

While authorities push ahead with the restrictive policy, some experts are urging a more balanced approach. Batanai HIV and Aids Service Organisation (BHASO) director Farai Mahaso suggested regulation rather than prohibition. “Instead of banning medical aid societies from owning healthcare facilities, adopt conflict-of-interest safeguards such as transparent pricing and independent audits, while strengthening solvency rules and member protections.

This balances regulatory clarity with affordable access,” he said.

As the debate intensifies, critics say the proposed amendment risks doing more harm than good—tightening access to healthcare while ignoring the real issues crippling the sector.