Mia Malan reports on the challenges of involving medical schemes in the administration of the National Health Insurance scheme.
Working together is the only way to effectively reduce costs.
The <em>Mail & Guardian</em> asked readers what they think of doctors’ tariffs in a survey on M&G Online.
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/ 14 February 2013
Mia Malan speaks to the health minister and others in the healthcare sector about the
guideline tariffs
Health professionals are finding the state’s planned guidelines for fees a bitter pill to swallow.
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/ 14 February 2013
Mia Malan speaks to the health minister and others in the healthcare sector about the guideline tariffs.
Co-payment
This is the portion of any medical expense for which you are liable. The amount varies from one scheme to the next and between options.
South Africa’s healthcare landscape is divided between a public and private- sector.
The treasury has invited comment on draft regulations for short-term and long-term health insurance.
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/ 18 October 2011
For many of the eight million South Africans who belong to private medical schemes, there’s a dilemma that needs to be faced.
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/ 20 September 2011
Prescribed minimum benefits are to be pain in full by medical aid schemes, but consumers and some medical practitioners don’t understand this law.
Only 3.5-million of South Africa’s 48-million citizens have medical aid — that’s 84% with no medical cover.
But 84% of members also say their schemes offer good value for money and more expensive options with more benefits provide the best value.
Aaron Motsoaledi issued an ultimatum in April to South African medical schemes to voluntarily adopt preventative rather than curative health policies.
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/ 2 December 2010
Pay-as-you-go healthcare could provide a possible cost saving for the man on the street.
Too little is known about its scope to abandon ownership of private insurance, say practitioners.
Medical aid members ‘will suffer most’ because of scrapped price list.
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/ 13 October 2010
If you don’t have a medical aid, hospitals will demand deposits of at least R40 000 before they will admit you.
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/ 12 October 2010
Another medical scheme has clocked in a 7,9% premium increase, but you can cut costs by cutting choice.
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/ 22 September 2010
Discovery Health is the first medical scheme to announce its increase for 2011, and continues to attract strong membership.
The woes of Renaissance Health Medical Scheme continue as the joint liquidators of the scheme have instituted action.
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/ 15 October 2008
Although a high level of savings may look good on paper, you need to understand what exactly will be paid out of savings and what out of risk.
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/ 15 September 2008
The government medical scheme has continued to siphon new members, driving the first noteworthy increase in the number of medical aid beneficiaries.
SA’s biggest medical aid, Discovery Health, refuses to pay for voluntary male circumcision, despite experts saying its helps reduces HIV infections.
Medical aid coverage is lowest among black South Africans, with 7,4% of individuals covered, and highest in the white population.
A significant and worrying development in the escalation of healthcare costs is that medical aid claims are now outweighing contributions.
Changing jobs could cost you R300 000 in medical funding, so when changing jobs you also need to find out what risk benefits your new employer offers.
Cross-subsidising the elderly and sick with younger and healthier members is a bedrock principle of South Africa’s medical scheme legislation.