Psemas administration tender closes
The financial sustainability of the medical aid scheme for civil servants is being investigated.
HENRIETTE LAMPRECHT
WINDHOEK
The tender for a new administrator of the Public Service Employee Medical Aid Scheme (Psemas) closed last week.
The bidding period had been extended by a month after the tender requirements were amended.
According to Johanna Kambala of the Central Procurement Board, they had received 19 requests for clarity on some of the tender requirements from interested parties.
Kambala said the board’s technical committee revised the standard bidding document and made four major changes to the selection criteria.
A requirement that the bidder must have operating capital of N$74 million was lowered to N$18.5 million.
Bidders needed three years’ experience in managing a medical aid fund, down from the original five years.
The number of members under management by the bidder was lowered from 143 500 to 50 000.
The revised bidding document was issued on 21 August and bidders were given an extra month to amend their bids, with the new deadline set for 23 September.
Members verified
Psemas currently has 287 000 beneficiaries.
Finance ministry spokesperson Tonateni Shidhudhu says 95% of Psemas beneficiaries have been verified and those who no longer qualify had their membership cancelled.
Only 75% of main members have been verified and the process continues.
Dependents older than 21 who had not submitted proof of registration as students were removed from the list of beneficiaries, he said.
Dependents over the maximum age of 25 years who are mentally challenged may remain on the medical aid fund if the necessary medical reports are submitted.
Pensioners who are in arrears with their contributions were also removed from the list, but may re-register as members once the dues are paid up.
The government is currently reviewing the medical aid fund’s rules, benefit structure, management and financial sustainability.
Shidhudhu said the outcome of the review would be announced by the end of the 2020/2021 financial year.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
The tender for a new administrator of the Public Service Employee Medical Aid Scheme (Psemas) closed last week.
The bidding period had been extended by a month after the tender requirements were amended.
According to Johanna Kambala of the Central Procurement Board, they had received 19 requests for clarity on some of the tender requirements from interested parties.
Kambala said the board’s technical committee revised the standard bidding document and made four major changes to the selection criteria.
A requirement that the bidder must have operating capital of N$74 million was lowered to N$18.5 million.
Bidders needed three years’ experience in managing a medical aid fund, down from the original five years.
The number of members under management by the bidder was lowered from 143 500 to 50 000.
The revised bidding document was issued on 21 August and bidders were given an extra month to amend their bids, with the new deadline set for 23 September.
Members verified
Psemas currently has 287 000 beneficiaries.
Finance ministry spokesperson Tonateni Shidhudhu says 95% of Psemas beneficiaries have been verified and those who no longer qualify had their membership cancelled.
Only 75% of main members have been verified and the process continues.
Dependents older than 21 who had not submitted proof of registration as students were removed from the list of beneficiaries, he said.
Dependents over the maximum age of 25 years who are mentally challenged may remain on the medical aid fund if the necessary medical reports are submitted.
Pensioners who are in arrears with their contributions were also removed from the list, but may re-register as members once the dues are paid up.
The government is currently reviewing the medical aid fund’s rules, benefit structure, management and financial sustainability.
Shidhudhu said the outcome of the review would be announced by the end of the 2020/2021 financial year.
[email protected]
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