BHF360° | DECEMBER 2020
THE IMPACT OF POPIA on medical
schemes
By Debbie Pearmain, BA LLB LLD LEGAL CONSULTANT, BHF
T
he bulk of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) took effect on 1 July 2020. There is a 12-month grace period within which to comply. This means that on 1 July 2021 everyone will be required to be compliant. POPIA relates to the processing of personal information. Both the terms ‘processing’ and ‘personal information’ have broad definitions in the Act. ‘Processing’ means any operation or activity or any set of operations, whether or not by automatic means, concerning personal information, including:
(a) the collection, receipt, recording, organisation, collation, storage, updating or modification, retrieval, alteration, consultation or use; (b) dissemination by means of transmission, distribution or making available in any other form; or (c) merging, linking, as well as restriction, degradation, erasure or destruction of information. ‘Personal information’ means information relating to an identifiable, living, natural person, and where it is applicable, an identifiable, existing juristic person (see sidebar on page 44 for detailed explanation).
POPIA is a large and complicated Act that everyone is advised to read carefully for themselves to ensure compliance. This article only provides a few highlights.
B O A R D O F H E A LT H C A R E F U N D E R S
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