With over 106,000 members, Medihelp is South Africa’s 3^rd largest medical scheme. Medihelp offers an electronic claims system (on which 84% off all claims are received), helping the company to process claims efficiently and quickly.

There are 7 benefit options provided through Medihelp, aiming to provide varied medical coverage to different income groups. These options are; Unify, Necess, Dimension Prime 1, Dimension Prime 2, Dimension Prime 3, Dimension Elite, and Medihelp Plus. Here are some further details about each option so that you can choose the medical aid scheme from Medihelp that is best suited to your circumstances.

• Necesse

From R744 per month (if you earn under R7500 per month), Necesse is Medihelp’s most affordable medical aid scheme. Most of the healthcare services or provided by network doctors or providers that have been previously specified by Medihelp. The network Necesse option is operated by a service network of optometrists, GPs, pharmacists, specialists, dentists and hospitals. Necesse includes cover for medical emergencies and a hospital plan (subject to an overall limit of R800,000 annually per family).

• Dimension Prime 1

This hospital plan will cost from R930 per month and also includes selective day-to-say services. This plan is best suited for healthy individuals who needs peace of mind that he or she is covered in case of an emergency. In this scheme, the value of preventative care can go a long way in keeping your medical aid costs to a minimum.

• Dimension Prime 2

This plan will cost from R1308 per month and is catered to healthy families and individuals who need comprehensive cover against hospitizalation or medical emergencies. In this option, the funds in the medical aid savings account can accumulate if they are not used for day-to-day medical expenses.

• Dimension Prime 3

For day-to-day benefits and a hospital plan, Dimension prime 3 will cost from R1560 per month. This comprehensive  scheme allows for cover of hospitalization, medical emergencies, as well as the insurance of day-to-day benefits.

• Dimension Elite

The comprehensive cover provided under the Dimension Elite plan (the top of the Dimension range) will cost from R2394 per month. This scheme offers extensive day-to-day healthcare as well as cover for hospitalization and medical emergencies.

• Medihelp Plus

From R4278 per month, Medihelp Plus is the most comprehensive scheme offered by Medihelp. This plan covers diverse day-to-day healthcare needs as well as excellent medical emergencies coverage and a private hospital plan.

These days, you simply cannot afford to be without some kind of medical aid cover, particularly in the case of an emergency or if you need hospitalization. If you earn enough to do so, it is important to budget for some kind of medical coverage to stand you in good stead. Medihelp provides enough medical options for you to choose according to your health and budget. To find out which scheme best suits your needs, it is best to contact an experienced Medihelp consultant who will be able to give you invaluable advice. Who knows, it could even save your life one day?

Contact Medihelp

For further information about a medical aid scheme from Medihelp, the company can be contacted via a number of means. To get hold of the Medihelp Head Office, call (012) 334 2000 or email medihelp@medihelp.co.za. You can also visit the Medihelp website on www.medihelp.co.za. To visit Medihelp in person, you can go to 84 Beatrix Street at Arcadia, or contact Medihelp via post on PO Box 26004, Arcadia,  0007.

CMSA stands for The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. This institution acts as a custodian of South Africa’s quality medical care and has 28 constituent medical and dentistry colleges. CMSA was founded in 1954 by professionals in the medical industry and in 1955, CMSA was registered as a non profit-making company. CMSA is unique in the way it contains all dental and medical specialities within a single representative framework.

Of all the various medical schools in South Africa, there are 6 universities that are recognised as the best among the rest:

• The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town (UCT): This is the oldest of South Africa’s medical schools. UCT offers both postgraduate and undergraduate courses for a variety of healthcare disciplines. UCT’s Department of Medicine also is a leader in medical research and education.
• The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Limpopo. This school developed as the University of the North and former Medical University of Southern Africa merged into one institution. The Faculty of Health Sciences’ School of Medicine has departments that are accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
• The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria: This faculty has both national and international recognition as a leader in research, clinical service and health professionals. The University’s Faculty of Medicine was established in 1943 and the School of Medicine was formed from this. The following degrees are offered: MMed; MMilMed; MBChB; MPharm Med; MPhil; MPH; MD; PhD; MEIC;BSc (Hons); MSc; and a Postgraduate diploma in Family Medicine.
• The Faculty of Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University: This faculty is known for its top academic training and international contribution in the field of health sciences.
• The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State: This is one of the oldest universities in South Africa, providing postgraduate and undergraduate education in Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health Professions.
• The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand: Here you can do undergraduate degrees in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, nursing, medicine and dentistry.

Other well known medical schools in South Africa are:

• The Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA). Medunsa can be contacted at P.O. Box 210, Pretoria 0204, via phone on +27 12 529 4321 or via fax on +27 12 529 5811. Their website is at: http://www.ul.ac.za/.
  
  
• The University of Kwa Zulu Natal’s Faculty of Medicine. For more information about this school of medicine, you can visit the department’s website on: http://www.nu.ac.za/. The department can be contacted on Umbilo Road, Private Bag 7, Durban, 4041, Kwa Zulu Natal, you can call them on +27 31 260 4232, or fax on +27 31 260 4410.
  
  
• The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Transkei (UNITRA). Situated in the Eastern Cape, this department can be contacted on 2 East London Road, Private Bag 11, Umtata 5117, Eastern Cape. For more information you can also contact UNITRA on +27 471 302 233, fax on +27 471 302 235.

A profession in health care is both challenging and rewarding. To apply to study at one of these South African medical schools is very competitive (some medical professions more than others) and you need to have excellent matric results, as well as show your desire to pursue a career in medicine.

If funding is a problem, there are a number of bursaries offered at the different South African medical colleges that you can apply for to get funding for your studies.

Any kind cosmetic dentistry is an expensive procedure, available only to a wealthy few without financing. Unfortunately, most medical aids do not support claims for you to get the celebrity smile of Matt Damon or put forth a mouthful Halle Berry would be proud of. There are, however, a number of private lenders who will offer medical payment plans for cosmetic procedures.

As dental procedures go, the most common cosmetic processes are:

• Veneers to improve the appearance of your smile
• Tooth Extracting for problem teeth
• Dentures
• Restorative Dentistry
• Teeth Whitening to get your teeth shining
• Orthodontics for straight and regular teeth
• Bridges
• Implants for missing or removed teeth

Which companies offer Finance for Cosmetic Dentistry?

• First Health Finance are connected with thousands of cosmetic medical doctors all over South Africa. To apply for cosmetic dentistry finance with First Health Finance, you just use the online application form which shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes to complete. Once First Health Finance have had a chance to review your details, a consultant will assist you through the rest of the process and come up with a payment plan that suits your unique circumstances. You can contact First Health Finance on 0800 212 537.

• Another South African financer for cosmetic dentistry is Cosmetic Makeover, who offer free online consultation. To apply for this service, visit http://www.cosmeticmakeover.co.za/cosmetic-dentistry  and fill in the consultation form, attaching any relevant x-rays, treatment plans and reports.  You are also free to ask any questions you may have.  The Cosmetic Makeover team will review your application and find you an appropriate dentist. After the dental practitioner has provided a quote, Cosmetic Makeover will review the quote and ensure that you are getting a good price on the cosmetic treatment.

To get your financing on the go, simply fill in an application to get started. Other documents you need along the way are a copy of your identity document, a bank statement of the last 3 months, proof of your salary and employment, and proof of your physical address.

You also have the option of approaching a general credit company to finance your cosmetic dentistry, but the downside of this is that these companies are not specialist cosmetic dentistry financers and may not have the same connections and knowledge as a specialised institution.

What are the benefits if using a cosmetic dentistry credit provider?

• Aside from the obvious financing service, financing companies are also experienced industry and know the costs that are involved in cosmetic dentistry procedures, ensuring that you can get the best price for your procedure.
• The lending company can also take care of all your appointments and consultations for you, so leave the admin to them. A representative from the company will be available for any queries or needs you have and can assist you both throughout and after the procedure.
• Most cosmetic procedures require maintenance and post-dental care, and the financing companies will be able to give you the relevant advice in this regard, making sure that you heed the instructions of the dentist.
• You will usually have 6, 12, or 24 months to pay for the treatment you receive.
• You can be offered the option of paying for your procedure in part, and have your financing company cover the rest.
• After you have applied for a loan online, your loan can be approved in as little as 12 hours.
• In most cases you can receive as much as R40 000 for your cosmetic dental procedure, although more money can be negotiated.

Who is eligible for dental finance?

Fortunately, most employed South Africans will be able to afford cosmetic dentistry financing which means that they can have the procedure done quickly, rather than having to save up over time to pay for the dentistry that medical aid won’t cover.

Having a gleaming smile means your confidence can glow from within, and you can finally take pride in your pearlies!

This means that they are generally working for private institutions which are too expensive for the general public to afford. As a result, in order to receive the best medical care, people are being forced to join medical aid schemes. What is unfortunate is that many people are unaware of their rights when they join medical aids and as a result get taken advantage of. So in order to give you a general understanding of what your rights are, carry on reading this article.

Your rights:

1. You cannot be unfairly discriminated against because of your age, sex, race, gender, marital status, ethnic or social origin, sexual orientation, disability, or state of health.
2. Your dependants have the right to be covered by your scheme. This means that your spouse, any children under 21 years old who are dependent on you, or children over 21 who are disabled, and basically any family member that you are liable for their car and support, can be covered by your medical aid scheme. In addition to this, dependants have the right to continue their membership of the scheme should they wish to. What is extremely important to note is that should the main dependant die for any reason; the medical aid must cover them until they leave the scheme as long as they can afford the monthly payments.
3. If you claim against your scheme, they have to pay you out timeously – 30days from the claim being received to be exact. Should it take longer than 30 days for the medical aid scheme to pay you out, you have the right to make a formal complaint against them.
4. You cannot be charged based on your health. The only variables that come in to play when calculating your monthly instalment is your income, and your number of dependants. Should any medical aid scheme try and charge you more because for example you have contracted HIV/AIDS or have discovered a chronic condition, you can report them. The only time they are allowed to charge you more is when you join for the first time in order to provide you with the basic set of benefits known as the Prescribed Minimum Benefits that will cover any chronic condition that you may have for the first year of your membership.
5. You are entitled to receive statements from your medical scheme on a regular basis. These statements need to detail all the information surrounding any expenses that you are incurring.
6. You have the right to question a declined claim or not paid you in full. Should this occur and they have not informed you within 30 days of why they are not paying, you can  report this to the medical aid board.
7. Your medical aid cannot share your medical history with any other party without your permission. If they do so, it is a breach of your right to privacy and therefore can be taken to court.

You have the following responsibilities:

1. Be honest on your application as any false information supplied may result in you losing your membership and criminal charges can be laid against you.
2. Never submit a fraudulent claim
3. You have to declare any chronic conditions or pregnancy when applying for membership. Many people do not do so due to the fact that many schemes will make you endure a waiting period before they cover the specific condition that you have. Should they however find out that you are hiding a prediagnosed condition they have the right to report you.
4. Pay your instalments timeously

This means that not only do you get the fantastic benefits that Oxygen has to offer its members, but you also get to enjoy the peace of mind that is associated with a company that has a large footprint in South Africa. This peace of mind is further exacerbated by the fact that Medshield has a global credit rating of AA which means that they have a healthy solvency ratio so you can be assured that you will never be left with a claim that is not paid.

What is more is that because of this merger, the special benefits of Oxygen Medical schemes have been consolidated with the benefits that Medshield has to offer. This means that you are getting better benefits than you would have without the assimilation by Medshield. Some of these benefits include:

1. A guaranteed one day turn around period on all claims submitted.
2. A guaranteed 14 second call answer response.
3. Value added benefits such as hospital management, aids for Aids, and a chronic medicine management.
4. The access to emergency medical services 24 hours a day which includes medical emergency medical guidance.
5. Programmes designed specifically around the needs of your chronic diseases.

Now you may be wondering what types of plans Oxgen or Medshield has that you could obtain in order to qualify for these benefits. At the moment, they have three key plans available, each targeted at different groups of people. These three plans are:

Core plus

This plan was developed for young, healthy, active people who want to be covered against all major medical expenses as well as unlimited hospitalisation. In addition to this, this plan covers chronic medication too. This is their premium price offering which means that you get all of the above mentioned benefits, plus cover should anything go wrong.

Essential

The Essential plan was created for low income earners and as a result your contributions will be capped according to how much you earn. What is more is that you will receive a savings account which you manage yourself to deal with any day to day expenses that you may be faced with.

Standard

This is the medium cover offered by Oxygen and includes cover for all major medical expenses and general in hospitalisation benefits. This cover however is limited in terms of the chronic medicine which it covers however they do offer a savings account which can be used for day to day expenses that you may incur.

Should you for any reason not need chronic cover, you can additionally opt out of cover in this regard with any of the above mentioned plans. This means that there is a no waste policy which is beneficial to members. Although Oxygen has been incorporated in to the Medshield scheme, it does not mean that it has lost its guidance from the brand which started it – Old Mutual.

This is a trusted brand in South African and people need to realise that just because it falls under a new name it does not mean that it no longer has the backing of a 150 year old, well established company that realises the importance of excellent service. Old Mutual began this medical scheme with the intention of delivery a quality product that fitted in with peoples lifestyles and they continue to deliver on this even if Oxygen has been taken under the wings of Medshield.

Have you ever been faced with the following?

• Not being able to afford quality health care;
• Not having money to buy proper medicine;
• Not receiving the service you had hoped for when seeking medical treatment;
• Being frustrated by bureaucratic health processes, even when needing a simple procedure.

The list of frustrations can go on, and purely having the correct medical aid plan can solve many of these.

You need to assess your needs before deciding on which plan you should opt for. Your present life stage is a great determining factor of whether you need a basic plan or something more detailed. Consider the following stages to help as a guide:

• Have you just recently graduated and starting your first job?
• Are you pregnant or have a wife who is?
• Have you got a family of at least one if not more children?
• Are you on your own and have only you to care about health wise?
• Are you taking care of a parent or other family member?

There are likely to be a few more scenarios, but let’s briefly explore each one here to determine the answer to the question “Is medical aid worth the money?”

If you are on your own and you have zero dependents then a cheaper policy is not such a bad thing. You will also want to consider what type of care you want access to in the event of an emergency or major operation. The last thing you want is to be on a basic plan and then for something drastic and unplanned to happen.

If you are married and are planning to have children, it will make sense to have the wife and mother-to-be as the primary member and then make sure you have the type of cover that will be more than sufficient for when she gives birth. Medical aids can be great in covering additional costs and adding the experience, depending on the level of cover and even the status of your policy.

If you are taking care of a parent or other family member, you will have options of making them a dependent on your policy. Depending on the level of dependency you choose, will have an effect on the costs you are likely to pay every month.

Ultimately, you do not want to be left out in the cold because you were too stingy to pay for decent cover. You need to make sure that you have the cover that is best for you at your present time.

Don’t forget that you will have the opportunity to upgrade or downgrade your policy on an annual basis so if your needs change then you will have that flexibility. Some medical aids allow you to change as and when you need, depending on the circumstances.

Our feeling is that you can never been too careful and that having the right cover is more of an investment than a grudge purchase every month.

Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which care provided deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error. (www.wikipedia.com)

Note that medical malpractice is not limited to doctors; it can also apply to nurses, dentists, osteopaths, health care facilities (problems with medication, hygiene or treatment) and health care services such as nursing homes.

Negligence takes place when a medical professional’s actions do not meet the accepted standards of practice. Negligence can occur in one of these three stages of health care:

1. Diagnosis

• Incorrectly diagnosing or misdiagnosing a condition
• Delaying the diagnosis, resulting in a less favourable or unfortunate outcome
• Reporting incorrectly on test results

2. Treatment

• Performing surgery without the proper care and skill
• Providing post-operative care without the proper attention and skill
• Failing to provide the appropriate referral for the condition
• Treating a condition inappropriately

3. Illness management

• Providing insufficient warning, or no warning at all, of the risks associated with a procedure or treatment
• Failing to inform the patient of alternative treatments or procedures

If you have suffered or suspect you have suffered negligence, you have the right to look at your own chart and medical records. You also have the right to contact a medical malpractice lawyers who would then take your case to court.

There are 4 steps to provide medical malpractice, all of which must be proved in winning a negligence claim. These steps are:

1. Prove that the health care worker owed you a duty of care. A legal duty to take care exists whenever a health care worker accepts responsibility for your treatment or care.
2. The duty of care was breached. In the event that the health care worker is negligent, the duty of care is breached.
3. The breach of duty caused you an injury.
4. Damages – you must have suffered a loss

The damages you suffer from medical malpractice can take the form of any of the following:

• Pain and suffering
• Cost of medical treatment later to rectify the negligence
• Loss of income- either for time or from work or due to you no longer being able to do the work you did prior to the negligence.

Munro Flowers and Vermaak is a law firm specializing in medical malpractice. One case they took on concerned a young boy who had a brain tumour. The boy was mis-diagnosed at a time when it was still operable, and the operation to remove the tumour could have been successfully completed. In this case, the boy received ample compensation to take care of all his future medical needs, and was also compensated for loss of income and pain and suffering.

Medical malpractice is something we hope will never happen to us. If it does, be informed about your choices, and ensure you bring a negligence claim to court to fight for your compensation.

“A funeral cover policy is there to help you pay for the costs involved in a funeral so your family can focus their time and energy on healing.” (www.funeralplans.za.net). There is a common misconception that people don’t need funeral cover, as there will be enough money in their estates for their family to fund the funeral. However, the reality is that most of the time, your estate is frozen when you die, and those funds only become available to family members much later down the line. This means that without funeral cover, your family would be left to foot the bill for your funeral.

Funerals today can cost between about R7,000 – R30,000, depending on various factors. This is a significant amount of money to come up with in a short space of time, especially when you are grieving the loss of a loved one at the same time.

Funeral cover varies depending on who you take this out through, and what kind of cover you go for. Funeral cover can cover just you, or can cover extended family members as well. Obviously, the more people who are covered on your policy, the higher your premiums will be. Many insurers offer an “economy-of-scale” benefit, meaning that your premiums decrease slightly for each extra person on the cover.

There are also numerous additional extra’s you can opt to take with your policy.

Hollard, for example, offers the following benefits to your funeral cover:

• Monthly Provider / Groceries Benefit – to provide money for your family to buy food and groceries when you are gone
• Memorial / Unveiling Benefit – up to R10,000 is provided towards the cost of a tombstone
• Vehicle Access – there is an option to get a hired vehicle to assist with funeral arrangements (www.hollardfuneral.com)

In obtaining funeral cover, you will first need to get comparative quotes from various providers, and assess which one makes the most financial sense. In today’s world, every second company is offering funeral cover. It is no longer only insurance companies offering this service. Now retailers such as Shoprite and Woolworths are offering this within their boutique of financial and insurance services. Banks now also offer this kind of cover. There are also providers who specialize in offering only funeral cover, and offer a wide range of packages and options to choose from.

When comparing quotes, remember to not only compare the monthly premium, but to compare the benefits and terms and conditions as well. Ensure you read the small print carefully here, as there are companies who will take advantage of people who do not understand the ins and outs of their policies. Now that you know how to get funeral cover, ensure you apply for this as soon as possible, to make sure you are covered should you die unexpectedly.

The basic difference, of course, lies in the amount for which you are covered, and the amount you pay every month. A full medical aid scheme usually entails “comprehensive” cover – this is a relative term depending on your medical aid provider, but basic medical and emergency care is usually covered at a minimum.  The major benefit here is peace of mind, knowing that should you have a car accident or require emergency life-saving surgery, you will be covered. A slight drawback with most of these schemes, is that you are also “forced” into contributing large sums of money each month which go into a medical savings account.

While an MSA can be useful, many people feel that they could just as easily not pay money into an MSA, and just pay for their day-to-day expenses out of their regular accounts.

A hospital plan, on the other hand, is basically an entry-level medical aid, usually covering you should you need to be admitted to hospital, but not covering you for anything else. A distinct disadvantage here is that “many medical aid plans have restrictive regulations, such as that you are only covered for certain major surgical procedures, or that you must spend the night in hospital for the medical procedure to be covered by the hospital plan.” (www.selfmed.co.za)

The decision between a basic hospital plan and a comprehensive medical aid scheme needs to be your choice, as you need to determine what level of cover you feel most comfortable with.

Some obvious differences between the two are:

A medical aid:

• Covers you for day-to-day medical expenses
• Covers you for most if not all medical specialities and procedure
• Offers comprehensive pregnancy coverage (dependant on your package)
• Usually imposes some form of MSA
• Covers you for hospital procedures without imposing conditions such as having to stay overnight etc

A hospital plan:

• Does not cover any day-to-day expenses
• Does not cover medical specialities or procedures such as MRI’s etc
• Would only cover you for procedures done in hospital, and even then often impose various conditions for a pay-out
• Many hospital plans now also offer a “daily cash provision” scheme whereby you are paid a lump sum of money for each day you are in hospital (this in particular makes this an attractive option to the lower end of the market).

It is interesting to note, however, that:

“the law requires that the medication for 25 chronic conditions must be covered by all medical plans, including hospital plans” (www.health24.com)

which suggests that regulation is changing to ensure basic provision of care and cover even on the most rudimentary of plans.

It is your choice whether to go with a full medical scheme or a hospital plan – research the options, understand the needs of you and your family, and most importantly, ensure that you are fully cognisant of what you are covered for, and of any special terms and conditions which may apply.

Applying for finance for plastic surgery may seem like it is not worth it, especially if it is for an elective surgery, but if the terms are reasonable and they repayment options suit your needs then what is the harm in finally getting the body you wish for. So many women desire to augment their breasts to feel more confident about themselves and their bodies but cannot afford the procedure. But this no longer has to be a problem as there more financiers have realised that there is a growing demand for these surgeries and are becoming more and more cognisant of the fact that given a payment option, more and more people would be having them.

So no matter what kind of plastic, dental, corrective eye, or hair restoration surgeries you are interested in, why not look online for the number of organisations that offer their customer reasonable payment options for these surgeries. These organisatons realise that elective surgery is a very personal decision which many other financial institutions may not truly understand. First Health Finance may not be the first of its kind in South Africa, but they have tapped in to a market of people who would not be able to get what they wanted without finance for plastic surgery procedures in this country.