Medical Aid

Slaught3r

Slaught3r

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So I went for an eye test over the weekend. My eyes are not too bad - just slightly worse than it was 2 years ago. Thing is... Two years ago I didn't pay in a cent for my glasses, but now I am expected to pay in R3400 towards my new glasses.

The medical aid only covers R1500 in terms of frame and the rest comes out of your savings account. :confused:

I had the transition lenses included as well as anti glare, but that would have pushed the price up by R3000.

Anyone else pick up that lately optometry (if there is such a word) has become ridiculously expensive?
 
Slaught3r said:
So I went for an eye test over the weekend. My eyes are not too bad - just slightly worse than it was 2 years ago. Thing is... Two years ago I didn't pay in a cent for my glasses, but now I am expected to pay in R3400 towards my new glasses.

The medical aid only covers R1500 in terms of frame and the rest comes out of your savings account. :confused:

I had the transition lenses included as well as anti glare, but that would have pushed the price up by R3000.

Anyone else pick up that lately optometry (if there is such a word) has become ridiculously expensive?
Click to expand...

All things medical have become ridiculously expensive
 
Do what I do, I wait untill I am in the "Above Threshold" (usually by December) then I do my glasses. I use spec savers... I got Daniel Hechter frames with all the anti glare & scratch coatings on the lenses, a free pair of sunglasses (Tommy Hilfiger) with the same coatings plus polarized lenses. Total cost was about R3800, of which I paid in about R600 ;)
 
For prescription sunglasses (not glasses), will Discovery pay anything? That includes from the MSA (which I treat as Discovery paying).
Got a pretty big amount in my MSA, and would like to bring it down. Sunglasses seems like a good idea
 
Not sure to be honest, I am on discovery (classic comprehensive)... but my prescription sunglasses are free with Spec Savers.
 
SirFooK'nG said:
Do what I do, I wait untill I am in the "Above Threshold" (usually by December) then I do my glasses. I use spec savers... I got Daniel Hechter frames with all the anti glare & scratch coatings on the lenses, a free pair of sunglasses (Tommy Hilfiger) with the same coatings plus polarized lenses. Total cost was about R3800, of which I paid in about R600 ;)
Click to expand...

...

So you are saying you are covered better after your normal savings have run out. That's backwards... :D lol
 
I am also thinking what does Discovery get me? I mean, all that happens is that some of my money is diverted into a medical savings account. Discovery then profits from the interest, and pays it back out to me when I claim for something. Now there is a whole lot of dentistry, and essentially I need to pay for it all myself. My medical savings account will be finished very quickly, and then I'm on my own. And since I paid for what is currently in my MSA, I am paying for everything.

I cannot think of a single thing that 4 years of medical aid premiums have got me, that I have not paid for myself. The only thing that I think is worth having is insurance for hospital cover.

EDIT: I am on the saver plan, so I have no above threshold benefit. Once I have used up my MSA, that is it.
 
Slaught3r said:
...

So you are saying you are covered better after your normal savings have run out. That's backwards... :D lol
Click to expand...

Nope.
After you reach your threshold, on the comp plans, they will then cover everything at their rate - up to the limit for that discipline.
The limit for optometry is something like R3400 or something ridiculous. My wife's glasses cost R11k - and each line item on that invoice was at discovery rate.

The MSA is basically enforced savings for day to day. The benefit comes in for hospitalisation, and once you reach the threshold. For that reason, I'm on the classic comp no MSA plan.
 
XennoX said:
Nee-***. Another set of those and she would have been able to pay for LASIK surgery.
Click to expand...

Ironically, when I had my lasik (many years ago) it cost me R8k :/

Unfortunately, lasik can't cater for loss of accommodation, as far as I know (hence the varifocals)
 
Sinbad said:
Ironically, when I had my lasik (many years ago) it cost me R8k :/

Unfortunately, lasik can't cater for loss of accommodation, as far as I know (hence the varifocals)
Click to expand...

What condition did you have that allowed you to go for LASIK? I have astigmatism in both eyes, with the right eye being slightly more deformed than the left. My eye sight is 15/20 in my right and 16/20 in my left. I've read articles where it is claimed that they don't like doing the procedure on people with astigmatism, but then I've also read articles where they say it's fine.

I ask because I am considering going myself, as my eye sight isn't bad - it's slightly above average - but I don't want to wear glasses to see far.
 
XennoX said:
Any night blindness? How old were you when you went for the op?
Click to expand...

26,in 2001
Night vision is not brilliant but I can get by. Star gazing is out though.
Had to recently start wearing glasses/contacts again, right eye deteriorated to - 1.5. Left eye is - 0.5
 
Sinbad said:
26,in 2001
Night vision is not brilliant but I can get by. Star gazing is out though.
Had to recently start wearing glasses/contacts again, right eye deteriorated to - 1.5. Left eye is - 0.5
Click to expand...

Care to elaborate why star gazing is out? (Maybe I'm just being thick here as I can't understand why having light pass into your eyes prevents you from star gazing)
 
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