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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Hospital cash-back plans crimped by new law
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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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Medical fraud costs the country’s economy
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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..
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Best and worst medical aids in South Africa.
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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..
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Why healthcare is so expensive in SA
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Some of the most significant contributors to soaring healthcare costs are fraud, waste and abuse. These are difficult to detect, monitor and prevent because the perpetrators are at every level of the delivery chain from healthcare providers at the top to policy holders at the bottom with many abusive acts playing out under the radar,..
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