Medical Chronicle November/December 2013 | Page 63
OPINION
DOCTOR’S VOICE BY DR AM LEVIN
Private health
is private enterprise
Private healthcare is indeed
now becoming far more complex in
its execution. Currently, there are
three participants in this field of
medical attention.
The first and most important
player is the patient, as he/she is the
subject of treatment that must be
honest, of the highest technological
quality, with the doctor ensuring
that the patient understands, and
will therefore willingly undertake,
the treatment prescribed.
The second participant in
private medicine, and probably
the most maligned, is the medical
service provider, who not only is
expected to maintain standards of
academic excellence
in regard to current
medical trends and
practices, but must
also liaise with the
patients on the basis
of their emotions
and personal
requirements. In
addition, he/she must
be aware of medical
costing and medical
aid protocols.
The third
component of private
health is the most
difficult one, which
is subject to differing
opinions, and the
prevalent country’s
economic status. This
concerns the financing
of private healthcare.
The patients are faced
with two different possibilities:
The first is that of a purely private
financial commitment in which all
medical expenses will be borne by
the patient concerned. There is no
request for secondary funding.
The second option involves the
use of medical scheme funding,
which embraces the vast majority
of patients in the private sector of
medicine. Despite this dependence
on this method of medical
treatment funding, the patient’s
freedom of choice is not negated, or
discouraged. At all times, patients
are encouraged to exercise this
inherent right.
There are two types of medical
schemes. The first is ‘open’ in that
the patients can choose the medical
scheme most suitable to
their personal needs, and which is
affordable according to the dictates
of their financial resources. One
of the ways in which patients may
be assisted in attaining affordable
medical care is through the use of
managed healthcare, which ensures
that the patients are informed of
the costs of a required medical
treatment, and that this is readily
financed by the protocols of their
medical scheme. The designated
service provider (DSP) may be
part of a medical scheme, but the
patients still have the right to refuse
this facility, even if an additional
expenditure is required. The
patient’s choice must be respected.
The second type of medical aid is
‘closed’ in that a given commercial
company will provide a med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x?&H]?[ ??^H\??YH???H H ?[???Z[??H8?& ?\?H??[[?] x?&H ?]?X?\??\?B?Y???? ? ]\?HX\??] ?[]Y ??YYX?[ ??[Y\?[??H\?H[]??[???H ???\ K?H ?X]\¸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x?&HX[ ?\?B?[? \? ?K?YYX?[ZY ? ??[????[?[]H Z\? ?? ?[??H?\?Y?? H?[?[??X[ H[\X?[???\?? ?[X\?H?\?K???QQP?S???P?H??SP?T??P?SP?T? ? L?
???