Charges by suppliers of service

(1)     A supplier of a service who has rendered any service to a beneficiary in terms of which an account has been rendered, shall, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, furnish to the member concerned an account or statement reflecting such particulars as may be prescribed.

[Sub-s. (1) substituted by s. 24 of Act 55/2001]

(2)     A medical scheme shall, in the case where an account has been rendered, subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules of the medical scheme concerned, pay to a member or a supplier of service, any benefit owing to that member or supplier of service within 30 days after the day on which the claim in respect of such benefit was received by the medical scheme.

(3)     Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law a medical scheme may, in the case of –

(a)     any amount which has been paid bone fide in accordance with the provisions of this Act to which a member or a supplier of health service is not entitled to; or

(b)     any loss which has been sustained by the medical scheme through theft, fraud, negligence or any misconduct which comes to the notice of the medical scheme,

deduct such amount from any benefit payable to such a member or supplier of health service.