Discovery is making a killing in South African healthcare

The South African healthcare industry's biggest business successes lie in the medical insurers and administrators like Discovery Health who take substantial profits from medical funds at the expense of their own members and of professionals who provide quality health services.

Until recently Discovery Health took as much for administration from patient contributions as it paid out to every consulting doctor in the country combined, with the latter requiring 8 - 10 times the work force and infrastructure. It costs at least twice the amount per Discovery employee for Discovery to administrate as per doctor and medical practice employee to provide the service.

This profit taking and crass commercialism at patients' expense has to stop before there are no doctors and other health practitioners left in viable and ethical medical practices in South Africa.