In a fresh nationwide survey led by the Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZiMA), the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) has earned the dubious honor of being ranked the poorest performing medical aid provider in Zimbabwe.

The survey, conducted online between April 14 and 21, 2025, gathered insights from 117 doctors representing multiple specialties. These healthcare professionals anonymously evaluated medical aid schemes based on factors like the speed of claim payments, how often patients faced shortfalls, responsiveness to complaints, and overall customer service quality.

PSMAS found itself at the bottom of the list, with doctors pointing fingers at persistent delays in reimbursing claims for services already rendered, weak communication channels, and subpar customer support. Many practitioners warned that these inefficiencies not only place financial pressure on their clinics but also risk compromising patient care.

ZiMA emphasized that this quarterly poll aims to hold medical aid providers accountable and encourage better service standards. Future surveys will broaden their scope to include more detailed questions and feature a larger, more diverse group of doctors to gather specialty- and region-specific feedback. “This survey will be conducted every quarter, with results shared with the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFOZ) through NTLC representatives,” ZiMA stated.

By publicizing the rankings, ZiMA hopes to shine a spotlight on underperformers like PSMAS, pushing them to fix their flaws so patients receive the quality coverage they deserve.

PSMAS, despite being among Zimbabwe’s biggest medical aid players, has faced ongoing criticism for delayed payments and rocky relationships with healthcare providers.

This inaugural survey is just the opening move in ZiMA’s commitment to monitoring and improving the medical aid landscape across the country.

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