Wondering which South African ex-presidents, as well as their spouse, costs the taxpayer the most after leaving their political offices? So far, it was by no means easy to find out and Dr. Leon Schreiber, DA MP, during a parliamentary question to President Jackson Mthembu, asked exactly what benefits these former politicians enjoy, and how..
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Here are the ex-presidents who cost taxpayers the most
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Whopping salaries and perks for new cabinet: here are the numbers – Spouses and children also set to score footed by taxpayers money
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Luxury travel, free housing and domestic staff along with salaries in the R2m a year bracket are all in store for the politicians who woke up as freshly minted members of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet on Thursday. AfricaCheck has crunched the numbers and found that cabinet ministers will receive an annual salary of R2,401,633. Deputy..
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It pays to be a politician – These are some of the perks awaiting new MPs – Cellphones, R1-million salaries, free flights and airport parking
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When the 400 newly elected members of the national assembly, and 90 members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), are sworn in on May 22, they can expect a host of benefits. Aside from a minimum R1.1 million annual salary, each member will also get accommodation, travel expenses and transport for their dependents. Khuthala..
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Tony Leon lamented BEE policy of the ANC a scam benefiting Luthuli House comrades and friends
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Former DA leader Tony Leon has lamented the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy of the ANC government as “a scam” that only benefits those connected to ANC leadership. Leon said this while campaigning for the DA in Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg, on Tuesday morning. “I have not met many people on the ground who..
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So Zuma is living a lavish life on taxpayers’ hard-earned money! – Taxpayers have to fork out nearly R1m for Zuma’s air transport and cell phone account since he was removed from office as SA’s president
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Taxpayers have forked out just under R1m for former president Jacob Zuma, his spouses and support staff’s transport and phone bills in the first nine months of his departure from office. President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed in a response to a parliamentary question published on Thursday that the state paid R150,668.38 for Zuma’s flights between February..
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Mediese selfbetalings styg met skokkende 13,4%
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Die brood het gekrimp, maar ons betaal nou meer daarvoor.
Só het ’n ekonoom die verhoging van meer as 13% in selfbetalings deur mediesefondslede die afgelope jaar beskryf.
Verbruikers wat elke jaar swaar trek aan die premies vir hul mediese fondse het boonop nog verlede jaar R29,7 miljard uit hul eie sak opgedok.
Dit is 13,4%, of ’n hele R2,5 miljard, meer as die vorige jaar, toon die jongste jaarverslag van die Raad op Mediese Skemas (RMS).
Boonop word dié syfer onderskat omdat dit net bereken word op die rekeninge wat lede indien waarvoor hulle self betaal het.
Die selfbetalings is die bedrae waarvoor geëis is wat fondse nie betaal nie.
“Dit kan ’n onderskatting wees van die werklike bedrag wat self betaal word omdat lede nie altyd hul eise aan hul fondse stuur wanneer hul voordele opgedroog het nie,” het die RMS in die verslag gesê.
Johann van Tonder, ’n ekonoom en navorser vir Momentum, het gesê mediese inflasie meet nie die styging in bybetali
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Syndicates and devious health professionals may target National Health Insurance
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Criminal networks are targeting your medical aid rands but could you be part of the problem too?
Criminal syndicates and unscrupulous doctors may be defrauding the private health sector of millions as experts warn that medical schemes may reach a breaking point.
“The health care sector is being targeted by criminal syndicates and even devious practitioners. It is a direct threat to the financial viability of medical schemes in the country, including any National Health Insurance initiative we attempt,” says medical advisor on healthcare forensics at medical aid administrator and risk management service, Medscheme Gregory Pratt. Pratt was speaking at the Board of Healthcare Funders Southern African Conference this week in Cape Town.
“The affordability of medical schemes in the country will soon reach a tipping point.”
In 2013 alone, Discovery Health recovered R300 million in fraudulent claims alone – a number that in 2014 CEO Jonathan Broomberg told
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Genesis wins case on accounting for use of medical savings funds
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On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that all funds paid by members to their schemes should be considered as assets, regardless of their intended use.
Genesis medical scheme has won its legal battle with the Council of Medical Schemes over how to account for the funds in members’ medical savings accounts (MSAs), a development that has potentially far-reaching implications for both the industry and consumers.
This technical accounting point will make a material difference in the way schemes calculate their solvency ratios that measure gross income against reserves.
Treating MSA balances as assets means schemes’ reported solvency ratios will improve, because funds accumulated in MSAs will now be considered as part of a schemes’ reserves, said Insight Actuaries joint CEO Barry Childs.
This is important because better solvency ratios mean less pressure on schemes to increase premiums.
The judgment overturned a high court ruling that the council has us
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Making Sense of Medical Aid Rates and Tariffs
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The medical aid industry is known for confounding consumers with all sorts of complex terms. Among the most confusing of all are references to medical aid, or medical scheme, rates.
Schemes and plans are quoted as covering the costs of in-hospital procedures up to 100%, 200% or 300% of the scheme rate or tariff. You might reasonably think this means that medical aid will cover all healthcare expenses, up to 100% or more. However, this is far from the case.
In this article, we focus on medical aid rates, how they’re calculated and what impact the different tariff options have on medical aid members.
The truth about medical tariffs
Medical expenses in South Africa are not regulated. Doctors, specialists and hospitals can charge what they want, provided the fees are deemed to offer “fair value” to the consumer.
The Department of Health has, however, published a list of recommended tariffs pertaining to specific treatments and procedures conducted i
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Is your GP contracted in to a medical scheme network?
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If GPs are contracted in to a medical scheme network, they might be pressurised to recommend cheaper treatment options and medications, say SA health bodies.
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) and the IPA Foundation (IPAF) is extremely concerned at the comments made recently by the Health Professions Council of South Africa concerning Designated Service Providers (DSPs).
The HPCSA recently released a statement to the effect that healthcare practitioners should be cautious when concluding designated service provider (DSP) agreements with medical schemes as the medical schemes attempted to reduce costs by applying pressure on practitioners within a DSP network to prescribe medication or recommend treatment options, when other more appropriate, albeit more expensive, options were medically indicated and readily available.
Pushing healthcare costs down
In the current environment where there are no regulated tariffs for healthcare procedures,
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Why opting out for a cheaper medical cover can cost you in the long run
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Medical cover is expensive, and getting more so every year. Unfortunately this could mean we opt for lower monthly premiums that could mean you aren’t covered in the event of an expensive procedure.
The South African Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA) is advising South Africans to consider the multiple factors affecting cover when choosing access to medical care.
The SASA understands that healthcare is often hard to comprehend and expensive to access. As a result, the Society believes, many consumers choose their medical plans – including how much cover it offers and whether care is provided at public or private institutions – based on the principle of “what can I afford monthly”.
“The truth is, most people look at cutting their medical costs in an effort to reduce their household spend when they feel an economic pinch. This is a difficult decision, since we’d all like to have access to the best facilities and treatment with the least out of pock
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Manage your medical expenses during winter season to obtain optimal value
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To obtain optimal value from your medical scheme plan, it’s critical to fully understand the scope of benefits it offers and to manage those prudently.
To obtain optimal value from your medical scheme plan, it’s critical to fully understand the scope of benefits it offers and to manage those prudently. It’s an especially important consideration during the winter months. This is according to Dr James Arens, clinical operations executive at Pro Sano medical scheme.
Minor ailments like a recurrent common cold, for example, may not necessarily require repeated doctor visits that could potentially use up benefits that might be more appropriately used elsewhere.
Dr Arens points out that the economic climate in recent years has seen many South Africans downscaling on their lifestyles.
“This often means ‘buying down’ when it comes to medical scheme cover. It’s understandable that when money is scarce, people wish to pay as little as possible while sti
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What to consider when deciding on a medical scheme
Are Medical Scheme Members aware of what they are paying for?
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The medical scheme industry is full of jargon and benefit structures that often leave the man on the street confused and frustrated when it comes to understanding and accessing their benefits.
Medical schemes have in recent times attempted to simplify terminology to make it more understandable, but are they doing enough to ensure members know what they are paying for?
A recent survey among Resolution Health Medical Scheme (Resolution Health) members revealed that 87% of respondents felt that they generally understood the benefits they were entitled to on their specific benefit option, while 13% said that they found their benefits more than a little confusing.
This is a worrying statistic says Mark Arnold, Principal Officer of Resolution Health, as it means that a large number of members are not receiving advice from a healthcare broker when it comes to choosing their healthcare option, and may lead to members not having the level of cover they need.
The sur
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