These days no one can afford to get sickness or injuries. Especially if you land up in hospital, private hospital bills rack up to tens of thousands of Rands in a matter of days. For this reason many South Africans choose to get medical aid cover, with a cash back plan being the most cost-effective option. What is a hospital plan? Hospital plans offers medical cover for hospitalization rather than for all other day-to-day medical expenses. You can join a hospital plan from an insurance company or medical scheme. By paying a monthly premium (the amount differs from scheme to scheme), you can be assured that you will be covered for most, if not all hospitalization expenses. So I can get cash back with a hospital plan? Yes, with some hospital plans you can actually get some cash back if you haven’t claimed from your medical aid within a certain period of time: Sanlam Hospital Cash Back Plan Sanlam is one of the most well-recognised insurance provider and financial service provider in South Africa. They offer a hospital cash back plan that not only helps with hospital fees and any medical expenses that you may incur in hospital, but also contributes towards the a loss if income while you are in hospital. This helps not only your recovery, but also the loved ones who depend on you. If you become physically or mentally disabled, the Sanlam Hospital Cash Back Plan will provide a cash payout. To help you and your… Read More

The private healthcare in South Africa is some of the best in the world, which also means that it is expensive. To avoid the waiting lists and public treatment at government-subsidised medical institutions, many South Africans who can afford it choose to pay for a medical scheme that provides health care coverage. Private health care and therefore private healthcare insurance cost a lot of money, but how do medical schemes actually work? If you already have a medical scheme or if you are thinking of joining one, there are some important points you need to know about how medical schemes operate, allowing you to make informed decisions about your medical coverage. Essentially, medical aid schemes or health insurance is a form of collectivism, like any other form of insurance. This simply means that a group of people (those enrolled in the healthcare plan) pool their risk collectively. In this case, the risk is medical expenses. With any medical aid scheme, you pay regular premiums (usually monthly). These premiums get added to the pool of premiums paid by other members, forming a large sum of money that the insurance company uses to pay out claims made by medical aid members when they need it. The individual members may not have enough money to pay for medical bills upfront, but when they pool their resources, those who are in need have access to large sums of money if they meet the terms of the scheme. How does the medical scheme know how… Read More

Medical tourism is the practice of travelling across a border in order to receive medical care. It can also refer to the practice of medical health companies travelling across borders to deliver health care.   Why do people do this? The following are some reasons why individuals may travel outside of their country to receive medical care.   In some countries the health care that is available is simply not as good as it is in other countries. Many people who can afford to do it will rather travel across borders to receive health care than go to a medical practitioner in their own country. One of the major reasons that people practice medical tourism, however, is so that they can receive specific treatments that may only be available at certain institutions that happen to be based in another country. Some doctors or surgeons may have founded certain treatments or surgeries and may be the best in their field at certain things. Patients will travel into other countries and across borders to receive treatment from these experts. In some medical institutions or areas, doctors may spend more time studying a rare disorder or disease and may have more experience with that particular illness than any other doctors. People who suffer from these rare diseases and disorders will then travel to these areas to receive treatment or to become involved in studies. Medical tourism could also be caused by very high health care costs. Individuals may not be able to afford… Read More

Knowing how to get your teeth pearly white can help you go from a dull smile to a confident, beautiful grin that will transform your face, uplift your confidence and make a positive change to the way you feel about yourself. There are many different ways to get your teeth whiter, some more expensive than others. You should first try the less expensive methods and if would still like more drastic results, you can consider the more expensive ways to go about it. Whatever method you choose, remember that it is always a good idea to use good quality products and to stay away from harsh and potentially damaging chemicals.   Tips on how to get your teeth pearly white The following tips range from every day guidance to treatments that you could have. It is always a good idea to follow the at home tips even if you do decide to go in for a treatment as they will contribute to lasting whiteness.   Clean your teeth properly and regularly Make sure you brush your teeth with the right strength toothbrush (ask your dentist which toothbrush would suit you) twice a day or more, make sure you floss and make sure you use mouthwash. Bacteria in your mouth can cause stains on your teeth and getting rid of bacteria every day is the first step to a brighter smile.   Avoid coffee and smoking Drinking coffee excessively and smoking will stain your teeth. Your teeth will be yellower with… Read More

There are several different medical checks that should be done at certain intervals and they are all very important to ensure that you are healthy and that there are no dangerous health problems that you need to worry about. Making sure that you have nothing you should be worried about will help you to continue living your life to the best of your abilities.   How age affects which yearly health tests you should have As you get older, the gap between the different check ups that you should have becomes shorter. If you have had a problem with a particular part of your body, for example your eyesight, you should have a check up on that particular body part or for that particular health problem a lot more regularly than someone who has no health problems in that area. For women, it is essential to get things like the health of your breasts and ovaries checked very regularly. If you are unsure about what health checks you should be getting every year for your age group, you should contact your doctor and find out.   Essential yearly medical checks for men Testicular examination You doctor will want to check if you have a hernia and to do this, he will hold onto your testicles while you turn your head and cough. Prostate check Especially after fifty years of age, every man should have a yearly prostate examination to ensure that they prostate is not enlarged. If it is, it… Read More

Medical aids that cover cosmetic surgery in South Africa can be a bit harder to find than usual cover. Because often these procedures are not out of necessity but more for a persons looks. Whether or not a medical aid will cover this kind of surgery will depend on your personal circumstances. Cosmetic surgery that people need medical aid cover for include: Tummy Tucks Liposuction Rhinoplasty Breast Implants Breast Reduction Eyelid Surgery Facelifts Ear Surgery Because most medical surgery, treatment and care is so expensive, the majority of people need to have medical aid to cover their costs. In order to enable them to finance the medical care that they need. Although most medical aid schemes will not cover and pay for cosmetic surgery, there are some that do. You will have to search around for a medical aid company and scheme that will cover the surgery and treatment specific to you. About Cosmetic Surgery If you need or want cosmetic surgery either to enhance your appearance. Or to repair disfigurations on your body. Or face caused by an accident or present from birth you will be under a lot of stress and pressure. Tummy tucks and liposuction are medical procedures that a lot of people in South Africa are looking to get cover for. Plastic surgeons in this country are highly skilled in these procedures. If you do not ‘need’ cosmetic surgery, you will have a difficult decision to make and some difficult consequences to face. Some people think… Read More

Because pregnancy is a very expensive time in a women’s life, most medical aids will be reluctant to take on a pregnant women and pay for all costs immediately. Some medical aids may charge a penalty for covering pregnant women while other medical aids might let you join but will not cover any costs relating to the pregnancy. Yet other medical aids may make you wait several months after joining before they will cover any costs, and by that time, it is likely that your baby will be born and there will be no more pregnancy costs to cover.   Why do pregnant women need medical aid? From the beginning of a pregnancy, there are many expenses that need to be covered, and these can escalate and compound so that by the time the baby is born, the total cost is astronomical. The costs include regular visits to a gynaecologist to make sure that the baby is healthy and the pregnancy is progressing properly. Some pregnant women also want to test their amniotic fluid to see if the baby has any defects and to see whether the baby will be born healthy. This is a further expense. Other expenses include prenatal vitamins and other medication as well as the hospital stay for the birth of the child and any care after that. Many new born babies require medical care immediately after birth as well as vaccines and medication. You want your child to be covered immediately from birth onwards to… Read More

Finding financial aid for medical students is not difficult if you look in the right areas. Medicine is one of the most expensive fields to study in because there are so many years of study to pay for and because the field in itself is an expensive one. Most people who want to study medicine, unless they are lucky enough to be able to afford the courses or if their parents are guardians are willing to finance them, are obliged to find financial aid to pay for their studies. Because it is such an expensive field to study in and because there are so many years of study to pay for, it can be difficult to find a loan. The idea of paying back such a large loan is also incredibly daunting. This is why it is so important to understand student loans and to find the right one for your needs and situation. It is also important to be smart in the way that you pay the loan back.   Where to find financial aid for medical students Most financial service providers will offer student loans to applicants wanting to study in a broad range of fields including medicine. ABSA, First National Bank, Standard Bank and Nedbank are just examples of some of the financial service providers who would be willing to finance your education. You could also approach the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), an organisation that aims to provide a sustainable financial aid scheme to individuals… Read More

Knowing how to compare Discovery Health plans will help you in your search for a medical aid package that suits your needs. It is essential to have medical insurance to give you peace of mind that you will be covered should you require emergency or planned medical care. Private medical care in the forms of doctors, hospitals, clinics, dentists, specialists and more are incredibly expensive and not many people can afford their fees out of their own pockets. Even if you are able to afford day to day medical costs like doctor and dentist appointments and medicine, if you or someone in your family should develop a chronic disease or be involved in an accident of some kind, you will probably not be able to afford the medical expenses. It is important to be prepared for any eventuality in life. You do not want to be left without care should something befall you or one of your dependants.   Why Discovery Health? Discovery Health Medical Aid is one of the largest, most well-known medical aid schemes in the country. Apart from a range of really good packages, Discovery Health also has several additional benefits like Discovery Vitality. Discovery Health promotes good health all around and offers discounts and specials for clients that choose healthy food and exercise regularly. Discovery Health has a large number of satisfied, happy customers.   How to compare Discovery Health plans The best way to compare these plans is on the Discovery Health website. If you… Read More

It is essential for peace of mind that you have a medical insurance of some kind, and the Bonitas Bonsave medical aid package could be the right one for you. Why is it necessary to have a medical aid? It is impossible to predict when illness or injury will occur, but you can be sure that at some point in your life you will be in need of professional medical assistance. Even if you are healthy and have never been sick a day in your life, you cannot be sure that you will never be the victim of an assault, bitten by an animal, involved in a car accident or a myriad of other incidents where you could be hurt. Emergency hospital fees are incredibly expensive, and should you require surgery or other specialist treatment or care, you could owe a huge amount of money. If you do get sick one to several times a year, visits to your doctor and the cost of the medicine he or she will prescribe can be expensive. Medicine that you might take regularly, like the contraceptive pill, pain killers, anti-nausea tablets, throat lozenges and many more, can also rack up a hefty bill. It is also important to visit the dentist regularly which can also cost a lot of money. If you have a chronic illness like Rhinitis, Diabetes or a heart condition you will most likely need chronic medication and treatment for a long period of time. The costs for any of… Read More