Tag: Medshield Medical Scheme

Paying monthly contributions to a registered medical aid scheme ensures your healthcare cover and offers financial benefits facilitated by the government through tax relief. This tax relief, known as "tax credits", is a percentage deducted from your tax liability and subsequently refunded to you.

Events in recent years have pushed countries to rapidly evolve their healthcare systems, demanding that they shift their focus towards pivotal strategies that can curtail long-term healthcare costs. It is particularly pertinent in South Africa, where the escalating healthcare costs pose a formidable challenge. Healthcare costs are spiralling, putting immense pressure on the nation's economy.

South Africa's healthcare system has experienced significant transformations over the years. One of the most pressing issues is the need for more resources and funding, which has resulted in limited access to healthcare services for South Africans.

People are always on the go, juggling work, family, and social commitments and it is not uncommon for them to neglect their physical health. Modern lifestyle habits such as poor dietary choices, sedentary lifestyles, stress, and exposure to environmental pollutants have significantly increased chronic diseases and health issues.

Adapting to innovation takes time and effort. It took the telephone 64 years, electricity 45 years, and computers 23 years to achieve 40% consumer adoption. Although healthcare is not unique in slow innovation and adoption, it is a laggard and other sectors have been innovating better, faster and smarter.

The South African government started discussing the National Health Insurance (NHI) in 2003. After several poor attempts at starting, most people thought that a fully funded first-world healthcare system could never become a reality.

If you are a medical scheme member, you have probably heard the phrase Prescribed Minimum Benefits or PMBs. But precisely what are they, who are they for, and when do they get used? It might help to answer some of your questions and concerns and help you to understand what you are entitled to and how PMBs fit into your medical aid cover.

The South African government started discussing the NHI (National Health Insurance) in 2003. After several poor attempts at starting, most people thought that a fully funded first-world healthcare system could never become a reality. Furthermore, the role of medical schemes was not clear since no policy direction exists in this regard from the Department of Health. Many medical schemes have since come out supporting the NHI, realising there is room for collaboration and more fundamental co-existence of the two healthcare systems.

As the number of confirmed Coronavirus COVID-19 cases rise every day in South Africa, many people are wondering whether they’ll get adequate medical attention should they be diagnosed with the virus.