Medical Chronicle November/December 2013 | Page 20

NEWS All-in-one benefit checker launched in SA Medical practices can now instantly check with all medical schemes whether a patient has enough funds to cover a consultation. healthbridge has launched a new service that enables medical practices to check if there are funds in a patient’s medical aid to cover the consultation. Its distinguishing feature is that a benefit check can be done for all patients belonging to any medical aid in SA, all from one place. No longer is there a need for medical practices to trawl through many different websites or call the various medical aids to confirm patient benefits. “No other product in the market offers as complete a service as our Benefit Checker,” says healthbridge Chief Operating Officer Peter Volavsek. “It is a first in SA.” The result of the benefit check is available before the consultation actually begins. This empowers a practice to better manage the risk of subsequent non-payment, especially as funds run out in the latter part of the year. “The bottom line is that the practice can engage with the patient before the consultation to discuss how they intend to settle their medical bill,” says Volavsek. “This does away with the costly and time-consuming process of chasing up unpaid bills. The result is reduced bad debt for the practice and improved cash flow.” The healthbridge Benefit Checker is downloadable onto a practice’s computer. Users can be up and running within just a few minutes. Volavsek says that the Benefit Checker works best in combination with healthbridge’s core offering to clients: the real-time submission and processing of medical aid claims. Working together, they allow doctors to run profitable practices while empowering them to make fully informed decisions on better managing their risk of non-payment. The following position is currently available at Medscheme Health Risk Management: For over four decades, Medscheme has been in the business of delivering medical scheme administration and health risk management solutions of exceptional quality to South Africa’s leading medical schemes and corporate clients. Currently Medscheme touches the lives of over three million people and is the country’s largest managed care service provider and the third largest medical scheme administrator. Advanced Specialist: Strategic Development (The Boulevard: Woodstock) REF NO: IRC47727 Top medical scheme administrator is looking for suitably qualified medical doctor to work in the managed care department. Key role: Potential candidates would be required to support managed care research and development at a strategic level, with the required knowledge and background to operate relatively independently. Requirements: Qualified medical doctor with managed care experience, a business degree and an understanding of healthcare economics. For confidential application please send a brief CV to [email protected] - remember to quote reference no. Preference will be given to suitably qualified previously disadvantaged individuals. Applications close on Friday 29 November 2013 20 MEDICAL CHRONICLE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013