Doctor's Fees...A Rant!

[Ecco]

wtf?
Sandton mediclinic, after hours for suspected broken ankle:
Hospital charge R400
Doctor charge R400
X-rays R1k
Parking R5

Not cool!

 

[Alan]

What I found ironic is their reluctance to do tests because of costs. Charge a grand for a consultation but a R200 blood test oh no...

Unless it's the usual run of the mill test something like a full blood count. That is fine even though the 3 previous docs did the same test.

 

[Sinbad]

Not cool!

Ja. Discovery won't reimburse me for that

 

[Fuma]

I've seen 19 of them in the last year.

Yoh. I know you were absent from myBB last year. It must have been some serious stuff.

 

[Alan]

Yoh. I know you were absent from myBB last year. It must have been some serious stuff.

no nothing a "get away for a while, go on holiday" treatment as suggested by my specialist at the time wouldn't cure. Again being a humble pleb patient I didn't quite get how that would cure my condition but I suppose you need 12 years of studying medicine to grasp it. That's why I paid him R500 a consultation.

Which lasted 5 minutes when in hospital

 

[Griz]

Yo guys I went and bought a BMW but I only wanted to pay a citi golf price

/rant over

 

[wikk3d88]

Champagne lifestyle on an Oros budget. Hehe

 

[Haldex]

Happened to me, something hit me in the eye, went to the optomologist, R2450 later medical aid refuses to pay, not even half.
Im on the Priority Classic on Discovery, second highest plan they have.

 

[Sinbad]

Happened to me, something hit me in the eye, went to the optomologist, R2450 later medical aid refuses to pay, not even half.
Im on the Priority Classic on Discovery, second highest plan they have.

On what basis did they decline, out of interest?

Also, priority classic is not the 2nd highest plan. That would be classic comprehensive.

 

[R13...]

On what basis did they decline, out of interest?

Also, priority classic is not the 2nd highest plan. That would be classic comprehensive.

Isn't classic comp the highest?

 

[Alan]

Happened to me, something hit me in the eye, went to the optomologist, R2450 later medical aid refuses to pay, not even half.
Im on the Priority Classic on Discovery, second highest plan they have.

Raise you R36 000 for meds the medical aid refused to pay because the 3 line motivation from the specialist was rejected. Which was justified actually as he deliberately with held blood test results from them. But thats a BMW for you.

 

[Zenbaas]

Isn't classic comp the highest?

Thats what I thought as well.

 

[D3nz]

Raise you R36 000 for meds the medical aid refused to pay because the 3 line motivation from the specialist was rejected. Which was justified actually as he deliberately with held blood test results from them. But thats a BMW for you.

My son's specialist thought my medical aid would raise no objection to his fee of R 12 000 over medical aid rates 'since it was an emergency'... his words when I queried the account...yep, that's a BMW for you.

 

[Sinbad]

Isn't classic comp the highest?

Executive...

 

[Alan]

My son's specialist thought my medical aid would raise no objection to his fee of R 12 000 over medical aid rates 'since it was an emergency'... his words when I queried the account...yep, that's a BMW for you.

12 grand. Must have spent 50 years studying and a Mensa member. Executive German sedan indeed.

 

[KillerX]

Seems like people are more jealous of what they earn, rather than the high medical costs. Btw, South Africa is still very reasonable compared to the united states - where one hospital trip can leave you bankrupt. And as mentioned in this thread, if you don't like it, your welcome to go to a state hospital (lol...good luck)

Any idea what it takes to become a specialist like a neuro surgeon?

Assuming your white (because of our wonderful AA and BEE policies), realistically - you would need like a 90% average matric pass rate (all higher grade) just to be accepted into med school (quotas). Seven years of study (with a high drop out rate), and then I believe 2 years of community service. You don't get to choose where you go, they send you to some unequipped state hospital in the middle of nowhere. If you think the first year apprenticeship is hard at a law or accounting firm, I think it pales in comparison to the two year community service a doctor has to do. Ive heard some horror stories from friends in the industry.

Then some years of practicing as a GP, and another 2-3 years for a specialty. So erm yeah, R950 an hour seems about right.

Would you rather goto the 'budget' neuro surgeon? When it comes to my health, I demand the best, if you want to save money, do it somewhere else.

 

[binkybozo]

You can go to a public hospital (that I assure you can deal with most issues fine) and get it sorted out. Or you can pay more for private. This guy goes and visits a bunch of the most expensive specialists (neurologist, cardiologist) and then cries about it. In private nogel. Shame. Cry me a river.

Go public if you cant afford it. Ive been to our local hospitals and while you have longer waits and less privacy... they will get you through if you cant afford medical aid.
@OP. You go spend 12-14 years of your life studying to become a neurologist and lets see how much you undercharge by.

First off I am not a guy, female here. Secondly, I never said that I did not agree with doctors charging over scheme rates, I don't blame doctors for charging more than scheme rates, scheme rates suck. What I am complaining about is that a lot of the docs are charging 3x over the scheme limits and that type of charging is I believe unethical. You do not need to charge that much to have an upscale life. I think it is flat out greedy of the doctors that do charge that much.

I am 46 I do not drink, I do not smoke and I am not overweight but the left side of my face goes numb and I have weakness and tremors in my left arm and leg, ghoti, you think my GP can handle that? Most GP's unless you have a virus or a cold are quick to send you to a specialist.
I am going to the state hospital for the neurologist and the wait doesn't bother me nor does the fact that he charges a bit over scheme rate. It is the quality of service I got there last week and the week before when I showed up for my appointment (after paying for a babysitter for my son) only to find out that the neurologist was over seas and the staff "forgot" to call and cancel his appointments for that day. Let me tell you I was not the only one ranting that day about our State Hospitals.

 

[Sinbad]

3x? Our dentist runs to 4.5x :/

 

[Haldex]

Ive come to realise that Medical Aid is only for poor people, none of the rich people have them, they only have hospital plans, makes sense!
I will be doing the same, wish I knew this when I started working 8 years ago, what a waste of money that has been.
I rather have a hospital plan and a damn savings account, atleast that money is still mine!

 

[Haldex]

Seems like people are more jealous of what they earn, rather than the high medical costs. Btw, South Africa is still very reasonable compared to the united states - where one hospital trip can leave you bankrupt. And as mentioned in this thread, if you don't like it, your welcome to go to a state hospital (lol...good luck)

Any idea what it takes to become a specialist like a neuro surgeon?

Assuming your white (because of our wonderful AA and BEE policies), realistically - you would need like a 90% average matric pass rate (all higher grade) just to be accepted into med school (quotas). Seven years of study (with a high drop out rate), and then I believe 2 years of community service. You don't get to choose where you go, they send you to some unequipped state hospital in the middle of nowhere. If you think the first year apprenticeship is hard at a law or accounting firm, I think it pales in comparison to the two year community service a doctor has to do. Ive heard some horror stories from friends in the industry.

Then some years of practicing as a GP, and another 2-3 years for a specialty. So erm yeah, R950 an hour seems about right.

Would you rather goto the 'budget' neuro surgeon? When it comes to my health, I demand the best, if you want to save money, do it somewhere else.

Id like to know if anyone here has had a huge payout of the medical aid, anything upwards of R100 000.