Dear Colleagues,
We write to you with a deep sense of appreciation and shared accomplishment.
As you may already be aware, NAMAF has communicated that the compulsory implementation of ICD-10 coding—originally scheduled for 1 July 2025—has been deferred to 1 July 2026. This shift did not occur in isolation. It is the direct result of our collective action, professional solidarity, and your principled refusal to submit under coercive and legally unsupported conditions.
The reported 38% compliance rate confirms that the majority of practitioners responded to the NPPF’s call for caution—whether by withholding coding altogether or by submitting anonymised data as a form of passive resistance, in defence of our patients and our obligation to maintain their confidentiality. This level of unified action is unprecedented in Namibia’s private health sector, and it demonstrates that we, as practitioners, have both agency and voice when we act in concert and stand on principle.
This is more than just a temporary delay. It is a window of opportunity—one that opens the door for meaningful dialogue on the structure, governance, and long-term sustainability of healthcare funding in our country.
To fully seize this moment, the next critical step is practitioner participation in the independent cost study, which the NPPF has initiated in collaboration with HealthMan. The study’s framework has already been formally presented to the Principal Officers and is destined to replace the NAMAF Benchmark with a more accurate, transparent, and clinically appropriate alternative.
We therefore call once again on all private practitioners to take part in this initiative. Your participation ensures that the future tariff model reflects the real costs of care in Namibia and is grounded in local practice realities—not in imported or manipulated frameworks.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to each of you. Your professionalism and courage have not only prevented a deeply flawed and premature enforcement but have also helped reframe the national conversation on healthcare reform. Let us now build on this momentum to secure a future that is equitable, sustainable, and professionally governed.
We will keep you informed of developments following our engagement with the Principal Officers of the medical aid funds after their meeting on 2 July 2025. The NPPF has submitted a comprehensive document to them outlining the next steps, including the establishment of a Medical Control Board to assume the role of clinical governance regulator in which practitioners have full representation. The benchmark tariff moving forward will be the one that emerges from the NPPF/HealthMan cost study. Funds will need to begin orienting themselves accordingly.
In closing, we convey our sincere thanks to all those who have already contributed to the cost study—whether financially or by submitting financial statements and supporting information. Your efforts are laying the foundation for a future defined by professional integrity and fairness.
With appreciation and respect,
Kind regards
Dr Jürgen Hoffmann
CEO: NAMIBIA PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS FORUM
Cell: 081 1242884
Email: ceo@nppf.info
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