The Council for Medical Schemes published Circular 20 of 2015 which outlines intended steps to curb confusion experienced by the general public, caused by misleading branding and communications from third-party services providers.
“It shall be undesirable business practice –
- For any person who renders contractual, administrative or intermediary services to a medical scheme to disseminate any information to the members of a medical scheme using their own logo and/or corporate identity, if such information pertains to matters which are necessary for or incidental to the exercise of the powers of a medical scheme or the performance of that medical scheme’s functions in terms of its rules and/or the provisions of the Medical Schemes Act, 1998 (Act No. 131 of 1998) as amended;
- For any person who renders contractual, administrative or intermediary services to a medical scheme to use the same or similar name and/or brand and/or logo of a particular medical scheme if such conduct, in the view of the Registrar, is likely to create an impression to the general public that such a person carries on the business of a medical scheme.
- For any medical scheme to use the same or similar name and/or brand and/or logo of a person who renders contractual, administrative and/or intermediary services if such conduct, in the view of the Registrar, is likely to create an impression to the general public that such a person carries on the business of a medical scheme.”
Comments are invited and must be submitted by the 8th of April 2015 to t.diniso@medicalschemes.com.
