The latest iteration of the National Health Insurance (NHI) policy paper is no closer to defining how much the scheme will cost and where the money will come from to pay for it. Meanwhile, SA risks running out of tax payers to finance its social security commitments, said Dr Johann Serfontein, senior healthcare consultant with..
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NHI financing model questioned by FMF
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Anger over medicines supply scheme
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It is crucial for the Rev Isaac Harley to take his medication daily – it’s a matter of life and death really. As a diabetic with a hypertensive comorbidity, he depends on his tablets and insulin to maintain his insulin levels and to manage his high blood pressure. But it’s been one problem after the..
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Africa gets generic version of most effective HIV drug
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NAIROBI – The generic version of the most advanced drug against HIV has been introduced in Kenya, a first in Africa where more than 25m have the disease, the NGO Unitaid said. The drug, Dolutegravir (DTG) is the anti-retroviral drug of choice for those living with HIV in developed countries, but its high price has..
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Hospital cash-back plans crimped by new law
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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..
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The most expensive and cheapest medical aids in SA for 2017
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The latest GTC Medical Aid Survey for 2017 has been released, which compares local medical aid schemes on cost to members across various levels of cover. According to GTC, medical aids are complicated schemes, and comparing them is an almost impossible task; however it has developed a review process that compares schemes across specific categories,..
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Non-invasive scan for liver disease
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In the past the only way to measure a liver’s elasticity was through a biopsy, but now, a non-invasive alternative has emerged, whereby elasticity of a patient’s liver can be measured using vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). Adopted as a frontline tool for assessing liver fibrosis by the European Association for the Study of the Liver..
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Healtcare Services Delivery need to change in Africa
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Healthcare services delivery in Africa needs to change, but no-one is quite certain how. What is certain is that future trends will be driven by access to big data, to shape new models of care in driving innovative, affordable and accessible services, across this diverse continent. With 1,2bn people, many enjoying a longer life, and..
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Genesis wins case on accounting for use of medical savings funds
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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..
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Vier maniere om jou mediesefonds-spaargeld te rek
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Ons gee verbruikers vier maniere om hul mediesefond-spaargeld te rek. Gebruik generiese medisyne As generiese medisyne beskikbaar is, is dit ʼn heeltemal aanvaarbare plaasvervanger vir handelsmerkmedisyne, tensy jou dokter dit spesifiek uitsluit. “Baie generiese medisyne is klone ─ dit kan deur die oorspronklike vervaardiger op dieselfde produksielyn gemaak word. Dis net die verpakking wat verskil,”..
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Day hospitals: The answer to rising health costs?
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South Africans are faced with the constant increases in the cost of living and an ailing economy, forcing consumers to cut down on spending across the board. For a small percentage of the population, healthcare costs are covered by medical aid, but only an estimated 16% of South Africans have such coverage while the rest..
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