Changing medical aids is a not a difficult task provided that various procedures are followed to ensure that it is done properly. The greater challenge lies in taking the risk of changing from one medical aid to another and whether this will work in your favour or not. Many medical aid members make decisions rather impulsively, blinded by the price factor, with little thought of how changing medical aids can impact on their cover. While it is always good to shop around, one should not be hasty in making a decision without first comparing the benefits of the new medical aid plan with that of the old one. After all, you either need the same cover or better cover over time as you get older and the risk of various diseases increase.
Reading through your monthly medical aid remittance can often be confusing with columns of codes that makes little sense to the average person. These tariff codes are a standardised means by which medical aids can communicate with each other, healthcare practitioners and other service providers. It removes the need to describe each consultation, medication or procedure in English or any other language as these codes are universal among all medical aids in South Africa. Although most remittance advices have a description of the service rendered, medication prescribed or procedure conducted, it is important for the medical aid member to understand the relevance of these codes and how it may affect their medical costs.
The festive season is a time of gifts and revelry. But a surprise may be looming for those who party too hard. A heart attack can strike at any time in a person with coronary artery disease. It has been noted that across the globe, heart attacks are more likely during the festive season and especially between the Christmas and New Year period.
Initially this was believed to be due to the colder weather in the northern hemisphere during the Christmas period but the spike in often deadly heart attacks are just as likely to occur in warmer climates. There are several reasons why this may be the case but the exact cause has not as yet been conclusively identified and it is most likely not a single factor.
The year end is a time of fun and festivity often marked with overindulgence. For most of us, it starts at Christmas and rolls over till the New Year with little thought of the the calorie and fat content of foods. Even the most ardent dieter will put aside their weight loss plans to indulge in the Christmas lunch, often promising to return to a healthy eating plan in the new year. Being aware of the calories in the typical Christmas meal can be useful in making careful choices before eating – not only in the type of food but also the portion size.
Joining a Medical Aid After Falling Pregnant
Medical aids usually do not cover any procedure or treatment for a pre-existing condition within the first year of joining a scheme. This applies to pregnancy as well and almost all medical aid schemes will not cover the pregnancy and delivery costs for a new member who joins the scheme when pregnant.
Colorectal cancer, commonly referred to as colon cancer, is an abnormal pattern of growth of cells that invade and destroy the health surrounding tissue and may spread to distant sites. Cancer is life-threatening and early diagnosis, rapid treatment and proper monitoring is therefore essential. Malignant tumors may arise anywhere in the body and sometimes this spreads to the colon and rectum in which case it is known as a secondary tumor or metastases. If the tumor originates within the colon and rectum, then it is known as a primary tumor. Colorectal cancer is a very common types of cancer and a person with risk factors, like a family history of colorectal cancer, needs to be tested regularly.
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