I am a medical practitioner and was contracted to a medical scheme for 5years. Last year, I terminated the contract. Subsequently, the medical scheme became insolvent.
Question
Some of my patients who were also contracted to the scheme refuse to pay me for services rendered to them, they state that the scheme is responsible to pay me. Is that correct?
Answer
According to the Shari?ah, the contractual agreement with you and your patients and the medical scheme is termed as Hawalah (transferral of debts). Therefore, in principle, the medical scheme is responsible in paying any outstanding debt incurred during the contractual period among the three parties. However, only those patients will be indebted to you directly at the time when the contract terminated with the scheme. Consequently, since the medical scheme is under liquidation, you may claim for outstanding amounts directly from the patients. The patients are duty bound to pay for the services rendered to them. (Shaami vol.5 pg.348; Tijaariyyah)
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
- Answered by
- Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.
Fatawa SA is an independent, read-only index of fatawa already published by Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah. It is not a fatwa service. For your own situation, please ask a Mufti. Report an issue
For corrections or mistakes, please email us at fatawasa786@gmail.com.
Source: Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah — https://askimam.org/public/question_detail/1196
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/askimam-1196
People also ask
Is medical aid permissible?
“One is permitted to take benefit from an involuntary medical aid policy. The example of an involuntary medical aid policy is where an employer enforces the medical aid upon his employees with the employee having no choice in the…”
Ibn Masood · 69 fatawa from 6 Darul Iftas on this
What the Darul Iftas say