Ask the Doctor
Hello Doctor
It ’ s just over a month since my son has gone back to school . He is now in Grade 1 and never had any issues with head lice up until two weeks ago . He is scratching his scalp all the time and someone told me it ’ s contagious . Is it possible that he got it at school , because his hair is always clean ?
Jenny Dear Jenny
Head lice is commonly found in kids between the ages 4 and 11 . It is contagious and seems to peak at the start of every school term . And it ’ s not about clean or dirty hair , head lice likes both . The most effective way of detecting head lice is to use a head lice comb – a very fine-toothed plastic comb with less than 0,3 mm spacing . There are different treatments available , however , they are not all 100 % effective . Chat to your pharmacist about the options available to treat head lice .
Hi Doctor
I ’ m 31 years old and everybody is saying I should get the COVID-19 vaccine . Although many South Africans have already received the vaccine , I ’ m a little bit worried that the vaccine was developed too quickly and proper safety checks were not completed . Should I consider getting it ?
Vusi Hi Vusi
To begin with , let me reassure you that researchers did not take any safety shortcuts and a large number of studies show that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe . The world was able to develop the vaccine quickly because globally scientists and governments worked together for the public good . They took years of previous research on related viruses to manufacture the vaccines and , due to the fact that it is a global pandemic , regulators moved more quickly than normal . The COVID-19 vaccine has passed all the same tests as all the other vaccines we receive .
Dear Doctor
I always see the words ‘ Bonitas Rate ’ when I read the brochure or website . But what does this mean ?
Josephine Dear Josephine
The Bonitas Rate is the rate at which we reimburse healthcare providers . Where we pay
100 % of the Bonitas Rate and your healthcare provider charges more than this , you will have to pay the outstanding amount . For example , if you visit a healthcare provider who charges 200 % of the medical aid rate and you receive a bill of R1
000 , we will only pay R500 .
If you visit a healthcare provider who charges the Bonitas Rate , we will pay the bill in full ( provided that you have benefits available ). On some options , such as BonComprehensive we pay more than 100 % of the Bonitas Rate . The best way to ensure that you get maximum value for money is to use doctors , specialists and providers on our network and make use of our Managed Care programmes where applicable .
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Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 3 | 2021