Is the Medical Industry taking us for a ride?

[Peach.]

So I got my outstanding bills from my most recent break after medical aid had paid their share.

What are we really paying for?

 

The Surgeon wasn't bad, only slightly over medical aid rates.

 

But the Anaesthetist, WTF

 

Consultation and assessment charges are for the 5 min he talks to you before theater.

On top of paying for his time at R34.67 per minute I then have to pay him for the operation and for the skeletal modifier which he has nothing to do with.

 

When I called to query all we got was "this is what the medical board has approved as standard billing"

 

Good thing I took out GAP cover.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Peach.

[BarHugger]

There is a rate, then there are rates.......and then there are RATES (.......the new secretary and ML Merc looks beeeatiefiiil).

 

Just a question.......private or state medical services?

 

 

[blacksmith]

Oo oo. And dont get me started on gap cover. The agents you have to pay extra in case your doctor charges more than medical aid rates. Wtf

[Delgado]

There is a rate, then there are rates.......and then there are RATES (.......the new secretary and ML Merc looks beeeatiefiiil).

 

Just a question.......private or state medical services?

Shouldn't that have read.......private or NO medical services???

[BarHugger]

Shouldn't that have read.......private or NO medical services???

 

No....some state hospitals have better ICU and theater units (people and equipment) than private......it is at the general wards were things start going south.......mind you, in some private hospitals also.

Edited July 11, 2014 by BarHugger

[Grebel]

Ask them for a reduction in their rate. This would usually be negotiated prior to the procedure but in the case of an emergency I am sure they would be flexible.

[RockCoach]

Oo oo. And dont get me started on gap cover. The agents you have to pay extra in case your doctor charges more than medical aid rates. Wtf

 

I happily pay that small amount to cover the excess. Which good doctors in private practise only charge MA rates? It also covers other associated costs that the MA doesn't pick up.

[PhilipV]

I had a knee op two weeks ago. just the hospital bill was R44 000.

I chatted to a family friend who is a surgeon about it. Just the theater time costs R230 per minute.

 

On the flipside, my little boet is a 6th year med student. He is still working for pocket money in his holidays. He is 24. when i was 24 i was already living it up.

[Grebel]

My shoulder surgery was R30k (This included the theatre, brace, meds and around 6 follow up visits to the ortho). The anaesthetist came to around R3K. The procedure took 44 minutes. I negotiated a discount prior to the op though otherwise I would have been in for a lot more.....

[TYGA]

If it was an emergency or what qualifies as a PMB condition your medical aid has to cover the full amount by law. If it's an elective surgery IE you had the chance to "shop around" they're unlikely to cover more than prescribed rates. Fedhealth wanted to pay around 30 of the 130k bill when I destroyed my ankle but I got the whole amount paid out in the end. Talk to the surgeon re how to go about it.

[slowpoke]

I had a similar issue in january. The specialist who spent a good 30mins in consultation before scheduling op and then more time pre and post op plus follow up charged less than the anaethetist. And the latter offered a whole R150 discount to the r2000 I had to pay in, or to pay over 3 months. Needless to say I made the bugger wait for the money rather than taking the "discount"

[Grebel]

I made the bugger wait for the money rather than taking the "discount"

 

I asked for a discount with my wife's Gynae a few years ago. Said I would settle the account in full prior to the procedure in either cash or an account of his choice if he gave me a discount. He said that we elected to come to him and that we could choose to go somewhere else to have the baby delivered. He is one of the better gynaes available and we were lucky to get him so I declined to move doctors. He did however wait the full 90 days before I settled the account.

[Disylizzy]

I was in the hospital for 3 days in November - no operation - R60K+ of which MRI's were in the region of just short R20K fortunately medical aid covered it all since it was an emergency.

 

I was actually scheduled to have those same MRI's done the next day before I landed in the ER, that would've been very painful to my pocket.

 

Currently spending on average 4-5K a month on physios, dr's, meds, etc

[Grebel]

I was in the hospital for 3 days in November - no operation - R60K+ of which MRI's were in the region of just short R20K fortunately medical aid covered it all since it was an emergency.

 

I was actually scheduled to have those same MRI's done the next day before I landed in the ER, that would've been very painful to my pocket.

 

Currently spending on average 4-5K a month on physios, dr's, meds, etc

 

I see a sizeable tax refund coming your way for 2014......

[Guest Sam Blake]

So I got my outstanding bills from my most recent break after medical aid had paid their share.

What are we really paying for?

 

The Surgeon wasn't bad, only slightly over medical aid rates.

 

But the Anaesthetist, WTF

 

Consultation and assessment charges are for the 5 min he talks to you before theater.

On top of paying for his time at R34.67 per minute I then have to pay him for the operation and for the skeletal modifier which he has nothing to do with.

 

When I called to query all we got was "this is what the medical board has approved as standard billing"

 

Good thing I took out GAP cover.

 

Yeah but can you imagine what an anaesthetist's insurance premiums look like in a country as litigious as ours? There's a long line of people taking their portion of fat before we get the bill.

[flymango]

I'd hate to be negotiating rates with somebody just when I'm about to put my life in his/her hands.