EDITOR – I wish to express my feelings about some specialists and medical aid.
Many specialists do not accept medical aid and insist on cash upfront, thus putting much stress on members who already struggle to pay their monthly subscriptions. They cite reasons such as it's a problem, long wait for payment, medical aids don't pay on time etc. Any excuse to put the onus on others.
As it is, medical aids may not pay for one's medicines except chronic, where does one find R650 for just a consultation? Then you get told “You can claim this from the medical aid.” Why? Why all this inconvenience?
The government should look into this and have a ruling whereby a member should not have to pay cash and then claim. Of what use is a medical aid then if one has to go through all this rigmarole!
Senior people, often alone, widows, pensioners and others worked hard to be independent law abiding citizens and pay their dues.
Now with these idiotic blocks put in place for no logical reason, medical aid members just opt not to have this medical care because some specialist does not want to waste time going through the medical aid route.
I call upon the Minister of Health to investigate.
Mrs S Naiker
Berea
