The Act consolidates the laws relating to registered medical schemes; provides for the establishment of the Council for Medical Schemes as a juridical entity; provides for the appointment of the Registrar of Medical Schemes; makes provision for the registration and control of certain activities of medical schemes; protects the interests of members of medical schemes; provides for measures for the co-ordination of medical schemes; and provides for incidental matters.
The Constitution of South Africa was adopted in 1996 and approved by the Constitutional Court. It consists of 241 articles grouped into 14 chapters that are supplemented by 7 schedules. The Constitution is the prime law of the country and sets out the founding provisions of the organization of the state, regulates the civil, political, cultural and economic rights of the people, divides the powers within the state and establishes the key state institutions and organs, etc.
The Act promotes the protection of personal information processed by public and private bodies; introduces certain conditions so as to establish minimum requirements for the processing of personal information; provides for the establishment of an Information Regulator to exercise certain powers and to perform certain duties and functions in terms of this Act and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000; provides for the issuing of codes of conduct; provides for the rights of persons regarding unsolicited electronic communications and automated decision making; etc.
This Act provides a framework for a structured uniform health system within the Republic, taking into account the obligations imposed by the Constitution and other laws on the national, provincial and local governments with regard to health services; and provides for matters connected therewith.