The demarcation regulations clearly distinguish between medical insurance products and medical aid schemes. For the consumer, this means that while limited gap cover and hospital cash-back plans will still be allowed, primary healthcare insurance policies will no longer be available. All existing policies will need to align with the regulations from 1 January 2018. Affected..
Continue reading…
Hospital cash-back plans crimped by new law
Posted on Leave a comment
Meet The Robin Hood Of Medical Scheme Rip-Offs: Clawing Back Big Sums – For A Modest Fee
Posted on Leave a comment
An entrepreneur has come up with a clever way to tackle the beast of medical scheme rip-offs. Instead of joining the throng of service providers who are squeezing private scheme members for ever greater sums, this Robin Hood of the healthcare sector has identified a way to claw back thousands of rands – for a..
Continue reading…
How to choose a medical aid
Posted on Leave a comment
Most medical schemes have launched their benefits and contributions for 2017 and it is the time when you should be re-looking at your existing medical aid cover or, if you are wanting to join a scheme, investigating which one suits you best. The medical aid landscape can be tricky to navigate so it is important..
Continue reading…
Genesis wins case on accounting for use of medical savings funds
Posted on Leave a comment
On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that all funds paid by members to their schemes should be considered as assets, regardless of their intended use. Genesis medical scheme has won its legal battle with the Council of Medical Schemes over how to account for the funds in members’ medical savings accounts (MSAs), a development that..
Continue reading…
Natural Cold and Flu Remedies
Posted on Leave a comment
Natural Cold and Flu Remedies It’s no wonder these kinds of treatments are popular — we still have no cure for colds or the flu. While the flu vaccine may prevent the flu, and some prescription medications may shorten its symptoms, most conventional medications just ease symptoms. Many natural remedies can give you short-term relief..
Continue reading…
The real reason SA’s doctors won’t deliver your baby
Posted on Leave a comment
Medico-legal litigation has exploded. As of March 2016, claims against the health department from the previous five years stood at more than R37‑billion. By October that year, the figure had jumped to R51‑billion — or a third of the whole public healthcare budget if we had to pay every cent. The medico-legal litigation pandemic threatens..
Continue reading…
Medical aid board says SA has no choice but to back NHI
Posted on Leave a comment
South Africa’s healthcare system is not merely unviable or unsustainable, “it is at the brink of collapse” if the government does not intervene, says the Board of Healthcare Funders, which represents most medical aid schemes in the country. “People are paying contributions to their medical schemes that are higher than inflation,” Humphrey Zokufa, who heads..
Continue reading…
Medical fraud costs the country’s economy
Posted on Leave a comment
The phenomenon of suspiciously qualified or unqualified doctors opening shop in some township and attracting unsuspecting patients has become a concerning norm. Discussions and debate are focused on state capture and its effect on the economy, but there’s another beast eating away at productivity, hurting the economy and undermining our health system. South Africa is..
Continue reading…
Medici medical app launches in South Africa
Posted on Leave a comment
A medical app, Medici, that is said to be revolutionising the doctor-patient relationship, is now available in South Africa. The next-generation secure messaging app enables users to communicate virtually with medical providers via text, call, or video. Originally launched in the U.S., the app hosts an array of practitioners including family physicians, paediatricians, dermatologists, dentists,..
Continue reading…
Best and worst medical aids in South Africa.
Posted on Leave a comment
The latest GTC Medical Aid Survey for 2016 has been released, which compares local medical aid schemes on price across various levels of cover. According to the latest General Household Survey from Stats SA, only 17.5% of South Africans are covered by medical aid. Between 2002 and 2015, individuals who were covered by a medical..
Continue reading…