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Time to deal with the reality of AID... Employee benefits threatene... Management the way to address problem... Taking the policy battle to the courts... Health department has plan for united a... |
Management the way to address problemsIF COMPANIES understand what the impact of the AIDS epidemic could be on their business, and design appropriate ways to manage it, there is no reason why it cannot be addressed in the same way as any other business risk, says Dr Jonathan Broomberg, a director at HIV Management Services (HMS), South Africa's only independent specialist HIV/AIDS consultancy. "There is no doubt that the AIDS epidemic has to be taken seriously, but companies have to stop behaving as though they are 'frozen in the headlights' and start doing something. If the HIV/AIDS problem is dealt with properly, it should not have a negative impact on the country's global competitiveness. In fact, there is tremendous scope to manage HIV/AIDS if it is understood and quantified; South Africa could become a leader in developing humane, compassionate, and efficient ways of dealing with HIV/AIDS in the workplace." Broomberg says HMS was established six months ago to provide companies with the full range of interventions to assist them with managing the impact of the AIDS epidemic. "The problem up to now has been that hysteria and alarm around the scale of the epidemic and its impact has been created without offering companies a way forward. Most other consultancies have focused on the impact of HIV/AIDS on company benefits; we saw the need to go beyond that and provide information on a range of issues important to companies."
HMS has designed a product called HIV Benefit Management, which helps companies manage the costs of treating HIV/AIDS within the medical scheme environment. It consists of various elements, including a sophisticated clinical protocol customised to the client's needs in accordance with their budget and a network of providers skilled in dealing with HIV/AIDS who agree to abide by the protocol. In addition, employees are trained and educated about what the benefits are, and how they can be accessed. "This allows employers and medical schemes to cover the costs and also to manage them, which is very attractive to all stakeholders. In addition, we foresee the legislative and labour relations environment moving quickly to a situation where it will become unacceptable, and even illegal, for employers or medical schemes to discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS." HMS director Gill Gresak says workplace benefits are critical in a country such as South Africa where there is no social security. "A situation in which benefits are not payable for certain illnesses becomes onerous for the family. Most employees view health care as a necessity for themselves and their families so it is important that people can continue to work and access benefits," she says.
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