SAOC and the professional societies, SASCRO and SASMO, have become aware of hospitals seeking to use the chemotherapy facility codes reserved for qualified medical specialists treating patients in accredited anti-neoplastic therapy facilities.
The chairperson of SAOC, Dr Coenraad Slabber said that this was an unacceptable practice as the facility fee is a practitioner fee that can only be charged subject to accreditation of the facility by SASMO/SASCRO, and that in addition to that he is unaware of any hospital that meets the requirements as set out in the facility criteria.
Should oncologists wish to utilise a facility owned by a hospital, they should negotiate a fee with the hospital; the oncologist remains responsible for ensuring that all requirements of an oncology facility are met and maintained, and that the facility is accredited in the name of the oncologist or group of oncologists utilising the facility. The oncologist then charges the facility fee and pays the hospital its portion thereof.
Alternatively the hospitals should negotiate their own facility fee code with the medical schemes.
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