The Department of Health’s controversial plans to limit medical schemes’ responsibilities for paying prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs) were never intended to leave patients footing part of their bills, a senior official claimed on Wednesday. Draft amendments to regulation 8 of the Medical Schemes Act, published for comment two weeks ago, propose limiting medical schemes’ financial liability for PMBs, a move critics say leaves patients exposed to potentially massive bills if a doctor or hospital charges more than a scheme is willing to pay….more