Cancer Benefits from Medical Aid
Hearing the doctor tell you you have cancer can strike absolute terror in your heart. Cancer has no respect for age either – anyone can get it, male or female, young or old. Nearly everyone of us knows someone who has had cancer – the terrible pain, suffering and loss. To avoid cancer you should try to buy free range poultry. Because then you can be more sure that they won’t be full of antibiotics and hormone therapy. Remember that there are limits to cancer benefits from medical aids. So prevention is better than cure.
Cancer Benefits from Medical Aid – Most Medical Schemes have Cancer Benefits
Dr Marais from ICON says that the exorbitant cost of cancer treatment is a major concern, and that without medical aid, it is all but impossible to afford. Medical aid members believe that if they get cancer, their medical scheme will pick up the bill for treatment.
Most medical aids do have a cancer- or oncology benefit which currently varies from R100 000 to R400 000. Most medical schemes will also pay for one mammogram per year. Radiation, chemotherapy and surgery are the current therapies to treat cancer. However, the kind of treatment you get will depend on the type and stage of cancer.
Before treatment can start, an oncologist will determine the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is. When you receive the the news you have cancer, you don’t want to hear that your medical aid doesn’t cover the cancer treatment.
Cancer Benefits from Medical Aid – Understand Co-Payments
The cost of cancer treatments is high. So you want to make sure that your medical aid covers your cancer treatments. Most South African medical aids offer an oncology benefit on their more comprehensive schemes. If the particular cancer you have falls under the oncology benefits PMB or Prescribed Minimum Benefit, your medical aid has to continue paying for treatments, even when your limit has been reached.
Check with your medical aid because there are some forms of cancer that require a co-payment for the treatment. If your form of cancer is untreatable, your medical aid won’t pay for its treatments, but normal oncology benefits will still apply.
If your kind of cancer does qualify as a PMB, your medical aid will pay for things such as –
- radiation and chemotherapy as well as specialised radiology
- doctor consultations
- pathology
- immunotherapy
- surgery
It is important to check with your medical aid if you must use certain health care providers. To some extent, your medical aid scheme has a say in your cancer treatment. They make use of certain guidelines to manage your cancer, but they have to pay for treatment that is regarded as a minimum standard in state hospitals. If you want to use use more expensive medication than that used in state hospitals for instance, you may be required to pay the difference which is known as a co-payment.
If your oncology limit runs out, most schemes will continue paying, but may well request a considerable amount as a co-payment from you.
Cancer Benefits from Medical Aid – Find Out ALL you Can
Different medical aids offer different oncology benefits, and not all cancer is automatically covered. It is essential for your own peace of mind to investigate the level of cover you will get before you subscribe to a particular medical aid scheme. With cancer your life is at stake and you need all the knowledge you can get. Rather compare medical aid cancer benefits and speak to a medical aid consultant so that you’re 100% sure on what your benefits actually are.
All info was correct at time of publishing