Pick and Pay medical aid uses excuses to not pay suppliers

My practice treated a patient of the scheme from 8 May 2019 to 18 June 2019. We submitted a request for conventional dressings after the scheme refused to pay for the advanced technology that was used on the patient. The normal time to submit a request is within 3-4 months depend on scheme rules. This request was within the allowed timeframe. The condition is a PMB (prescribed minimum benefit) and the scheme is obliged to pay for this treatment or at least provide an answer if they decline treatment. On 10 July we contacted the funder for a reason for the decline so that corrective measures could either be put in place such as needing a referral letter for example. After numerous attempts to get clarity another email was send to find out reason for the authorisation request being rejected and the practice now has to incur losses as a small business while the patient was treated with best available research based products. The practice is not PicknPay that can absorb losses, but is a small business trying to survive. Subsequently the funder send: "This request &claim is stale therefor its decline & you cannot hold member responsible for an authorisation that was not obtained." 1. We requested authorisation in time. 2. No reason for decline was provided which is common practice even with this specific Funder. 3. Funder decided on enquiry that reason for decline after six moths of trying to get authorisation is"stale claim" 4. Funder did not state the reason they conveniently decided to decline a PMB until now. 5. Pt is healed and received the best care and Pick and Pay, conveniently decides that my small business must take the loss.

How is this fair business practice?