Medical Schemes

Medical scheme rip-off?
In 2008, the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) applied to be exempt from the provisions of the Competitions Act. Is this an attempt to rip off the consumer even further?

Spot a lousy broker
A bad healthcare broker could cost you a lot more than money. Here's how to spot a bad one. Run for your life, while you still can.

The ANC's NHI plan
Revealed: the confidential details of the National Health Insurance plan.

NHI: what is the time frame?
The envisioned time frame for implementation of the NHI.

SA hospital shocker
A surgeon can't operate due to a missing drill. A 16-year-old boy dies of suspected meningitis. Suppliers refuse to repair equipment. Can SA hospitals be saved?

10 NHI facts
Here are 10 things everyone should know about the proposed National Health Insurance in South Africa.

20 claims schemes will not pay
Here are 20 things any scheme is very unlikely to foot the bill for. Don't get a nasty surprise when your claim is refused.

Facts on PMBs
Every member of a medical scheme needs to have a clear understanding of what prescribed minimum benefits are.

Take the pain out of holiday hospitalisation
When you go on holiday, it's worth making sure that your medical scheme will work for you if something out of the ordinary happens.

Thumbs-down to NHI, says Health24 survey
Health24 readers have given an overwhelming thumbs-down to the government’s proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) – two thirds of us simply don’t believe it will work.

Manage your medical expenses during winter
To obtain optimal value from your medical scheme plan, it’s critical to fully understand the scope of benefits it offers and to manage those prudently.

Chronic meds: Discovery Health's response
On Monday 23 January, an article, which was titled 'Discovery Health: chronic meds shock' appeared on Health24. A response was requested from Discovery Health. Here it is.

Discovery chronic meds: the changes
If you're suddenly having to make unexpected co-payments on your chronic medication since the beginning of January 2012, here's the reason.

76% of all deliveries via C-Section
Statistics show that of all deliveries in South Africa, 76% are performed via C-section.

End of gap cover and hospital insurance?
There are big changes afoot in the world of medical insurance: if you have a medical gap cover policy, a top-up policy or hospital insurance, you need to read this.

Social behaviour drives medical costs
Medical costs are, to a large extent, driven by social behaviour, according to Liberty Medical Scheme’s Executive Principal Officer, Andrew Edwards,

Medical inflation: not schemes' fault
Comments by SAMA that overspending on administration by medical aid schemes is responsible for fuelling medical inflation is misleading, says the Principal Officer of Profmed.

What makes a medical scheme successful?
The principles underpinning the success of a medical scheme are the same as that for any other organisation.

Is your broker any good?
If your broker isn't doing the 10 things below, it might be time for you to move to a broker who will.

NHI: key details
Here's exactly what the new NHI will mean for both doctors and patients.

NHI: what will it cost?
NHI: the bottom line for taxpayers revealed.

Sinking ship for SA interns
SA interns are facing extremely high levels of stress. Difficult working conditions, long work hours and heavy workloads appear to be the hallmark of the internship programme.

Alive, but penniless
People can die financially long before their lives are over. This was the message given by Professor Marius Barnard at the ICLAM conference in Cape Town.

HIV, cancer and medical schemes
Being a member of a medical scheme is a necessity. Having medical cover provides security in the event of a medical emergency and will cover your day-to-day medical expenses.

Maximising medical scheme benefits
Medical scheme benefits: can members manage and maximise them to last longer?

Medical schemes: what matters most?
Health24 surveyed 5,000 readers and discovered the factor most of us look at when we join or change our medical scheme is the question of good and ethical management of the fund.

Medical consumer services
Got a problem with your medical scheme, hospital, doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist or optometrist? Here's where to go for advice and complaints.

Discovery Health: chronic meds shock
Discovery Health members are up in arms about two issues: the new limits on allied therapeutic services, and an increase in the co-payments of certain chronic medications.

Discovery: a GP's 8 questions
After publishing Discovery Health's reply to the article on changes in payouts for chronic medications, Health24 received the following interesting letter from a doctor.

Why schemes are so expensive
Sound financial governance, not profit, is behind increases in medical scheme contributions, says Kevin Aron, MD of Medscheme South Africa.

Obesity can cost you more than your health
Being obese not only presents major health problems, but also financial problems due to more medical bills and possible penalties for life insurance or medical aid, warns PPS.

Gap cover: 2 sides to the story
Here are two very different industry responses on the proposed changes to gap cover, top-up cover and hospital insurance.

Why medical schemes are so expensive
Are medical schemes so expensive because the law makes them pay for 26 set medical conditions? This CEO of a medical scheme thinks so. Have your say here.