guest column:Johannes Marisa THE medical industry is a delicate sector as it deals with matters of life and death. There has never been trust among medical aid societies, service providers and patients since time immemorial in our country. There are so many types of health insurances policies in this world and these include social insurance, tax-based insurance, private and out-of-pocket insurance. Zimbabwe has around 10% of its citizens insured medically and these fall under private insurance. There are now over 30 registered medical aid societies in Zimbabwe, some of which continue to perform dismally on the market. Michael Porter in 1979 came up with the five forces model in an attempt to explain the forces that shape competition within an industry. It is also an analytical tool that helps many managers adjust their strategies to suit the competitive environment and improve revenue. The emergence of new medical aid societies that offer capitation services to service providers will soon shake the medical industry. Service providers have been bullied by some of these so-called medical aid societies which often dictate how things must be in the industry. It is time for us as practitioners to stand up against malpractices at such medical aid societies which disadvantage us and reclaim our yesteryear glory. Medical service’s main players are the service provider and patient and all other people who come as middlemen should not terrorise either of the parties. It is disheartening that the acrimony between medical aid societies and service providers has not been resolved for a long time now. Some medical aid societies have refused to honour claims sent to them for payment, which is unfair considering that medical service would have been rendered. Who will pay the service providers who would have incurred costs on medicines, surgicals, personal protective equipment, salaries, rentals et cetera? It is unnerving that majority of medical aid societies refuse to pay while at the same time buying themselves luxury cars and awarding themselves massive perks at the expense of their clients. The consequences will be felt by their contributing members who will not get the appropriate services when they are sick. The service providers will simply reject the medical aid cards and opt for cash in order to survive. Quite often, the service providers are blamed merely because of misinformation. The following are some of the reasons why many service providers have lately rejected majority of medical aid cards: lThe meagre payments made by some medical aid societies to service providers are not only ridiculous but provocative. Last week, a prominent medical aid society paid me $148 (US$2) after three months of non-payment. Honestly, do you expect me to continue accepting the same card holder? Patients should understand that service providers demand cash up-front because they need to survive and run their practices well. lRidiculously long claim turnover at many of the medical aid societies. Under the law, the claim forms should be honour