Patients’ anti-depressant, anti-anxiety drugs cut – but department denies shortage State patients needing anti-anxiety drugs or anti-depressants are being turned away from Provincial Hospital’s outpatient clinic and told by the nurses to buy their own drugs or that they do not need pills to stop an anxiety attack. “I have lost so much weight that..
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‘No money for medicines’ shock – What is going to happen to the patients ???
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Is your GP contracted in to a medical scheme network?
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If GPs are contracted in to a medical scheme network, they might be pressurised to recommend cheaper treatment options and medications, say SA health bodies. The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) and the IPA Foundation (IPAF) is extremely concerned at the comments made recently by the Health Professions Council of South Africa concerning Designated Service..
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Why opting out for a cheaper medical cover can cost you in the long run
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Medical cover is expensive, and getting more so every year. Unfortunately this could mean we opt for lower monthly premiums that could mean you aren’t covered in the event of an expensive procedure. The South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) is advising South Africans to consider the multiple factors affecting cover when choosing access to..
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With winter around the corner, you need to know what flu really feels like !!!
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You’re sneezy, stuffed up, and feel bad all over. Is it a cold, or do you have the flu? The symptoms can be a lot alike. But if you know the warning signs of the flu, you can get treatment quickly and work on feeling better, sooner. What You Need to Know Unlike a cold,..
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The case for a restricted medical scheme
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With the sustainability of medical schemes coming under increasing scrutiny, many companies may be left wondering whether offering restricted medical scheme membership to their employees is still a viable benefit. Restricted membership medical schemes – those not open to the public and where membership eligibility is dependent on working in a certain industry sector, company,..
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Desperately seeking: A viable healthcare payment system
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South Africa’s private healthcare sector is under severe pressure, particularly with rampant inflation tracking at rates higher than CPI, creating a system that will eventually, in the not too distant future, become unsustainable. In fact, at the end of last year, most of the country’s medical aids announced double-digit premium increases for 2017. “Issues that..
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What to consider when deciding on a medical scheme
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Are your health insurance costs too high? Try decoding your medical aid terms and conditions and associated costs to make sure that it works for you. “While health insurance is important, it comes at a cost that is rapidly rising. Unfortunately for the consumer, this affects medical scheme membership contribution rates, and the increases of..
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Medical aid members still have to dig deep in their pockets
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Despite having medical aid, many members still have to fork out chunks of money out of their own pocket for healthcare products and services. “In South Africa, healthcare services and products is provided by parallel running public and private healthcare systems. Even though private healthcare is only available to a very small section of the..
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Are Medical Scheme Members aware of what they are paying for?
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The medical scheme industry is full of jargon and benefit structures that often leave the man on the street confused and frustrated when it comes to understanding and accessing their benefits. Medical schemes have in recent times attempted to simplify terminology to make it more understandable, but are they doing enough to ensure members know..
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Why medical aids are so expensive.
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Healthcare is complex. Our bodies are the most complex machines we know of, and our brains and minds work in ways we do not yet fully comprehend. Despite rapid advances in medicine it remains an imperfect and growing science. This article unpacks just some of the mysteries of the healthcare system. When health problems arise..
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