In some ways the
challenges involved in personal health
risk management are the same as those presented
for death and disability. However here there is another aspect to be
considered . The management of health
conditions to maintain another aspect to be considered a financially feasible/ optimum plan, This includes seeking
out the optimum approach to funding health care costs, the most suitable combination of medical aids, health
insurance etc., Increasingly this is being combined with health cost curtailment programmes such as a managed health care
schemes.
PREVENTIVE CARE: There is a growing awareness of the need to focus on the hesitant to offer
cover for preventive issues. Indeed, it is only in the past few years that we
have been seen some schemes including
repayments for costs associated
with sterilization or other birth control measures, even though they were happy to
meet the heavier costs of child birth. Similarly most of us
would not expect to be able to claim the costs of a health club subscription
from our medical aids.
THE ROLE OF FUNDING: Funding involves three main areas:
(1) ENSURING SUFFICIENT FUNDS FOR APPROPRIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION: Whilst the simplest form of this is a specially ear-market savings account, the danger in this approach lies in the possibility that a fairly large demand could be placed on the funds, early on, before sufficient cushion has been built up. Another issue is the fact that it is generally true the that some people are just ., Unhealthy mainly through genetic causes and for them the cost of funding adequately could be the prohibitive. The normal solution to these problems has been in the basic concept of insurance as applied in medical aid schemes pooling of the risk and cross-subsidisation.
THE ROLE OF FUNDING: Funding involves three main areas:
(1) ENSURING SUFFICIENT FUNDS FOR APPROPRIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION: Whilst the simplest form of this is a specially ear-market savings account, the danger in this approach lies in the possibility that a fairly large demand could be placed on the funds, early on, before sufficient cushion has been built up. Another issue is the fact that it is generally true the that some people are just ., Unhealthy mainly through genetic causes and for them the cost of funding adequately could be the prohibitive. The normal solution to these problems has been in the basic concept of insurance as applied in medical aid schemes pooling of the risk and cross-subsidisation.
(2) MAINTAINING A CONTROL ON COSTS: The system of health treatment is such that it is sometimes difficult to ensure that cost increases are
genuine. After all without wishing to be disparaging of the medical profession,
we find that there is often pressure on
them to make 100% sure that the treatment is totally successfully
since patients, would otherwise have cause for complaint. There is a
also the simple financial matter that
suggests that a practitioner should seek
to get as much out of the patients as possible, “ With the general lack of
medical knowledge on the part of the most parents, over treatment is a define
possibility since that the matter is
really out of the patient’s hands and
mostly paid for by the medical aid. In
all of this there is a need to the maintain a balance between the care and the cost. For
example surgery may be expensive , but if it cures the condition swiftly and effectively , it may be
ultimately be a better choice than an
alternative prolonged half measure
treatment. However increasing a new
perspective is being introduced in the so called new generation medical schemes, where recognition is given to the fact that there are some
procedures where the patient does have control for example whether to take a
minor ailments to the doctor or
to only for the chemist and so increasingly
the insurance cover is being offered only for the more major condition,
where the patient is more relient on the
medical practitioner.
Managed health care schemes seek to the solve the problem in one of two ways-either through the introductions of professional checks by more than one of the practitioner either after than the treatments or preferably before or through arrangements with specific practitioners a or a group of practitioners where a flat fee is a negotiated for treatments as a whole thereby putting a the onus on the practitioner to provide the most cost effective treatment hopefully without sacrificing quality. (3) ENSURING POST-RETIREMENT CARE: Most medical expenses are incurred in the one’s later year and there is an increasing realization of the need for funding for this . However such funding has an impact on current expendable income. While pre-funding through has an impact savings schemes is one consideration another approach largely confined to several more advanced countries overseas, is that of frail care, where the individual contributes to a fund during his or her working life and in return is guaranteed suitable post retirement care
.
Managed health care schemes seek to the solve the problem in one of two ways-either through the introductions of professional checks by more than one of the practitioner either after than the treatments or preferably before or through arrangements with specific practitioners a or a group of practitioners where a flat fee is a negotiated for treatments as a whole thereby putting a the onus on the practitioner to provide the most cost effective treatment hopefully without sacrificing quality. (3) ENSURING POST-RETIREMENT CARE: Most medical expenses are incurred in the one’s later year and there is an increasing realization of the need for funding for this . However such funding has an impact on current expendable income. While pre-funding through has an impact savings schemes is one consideration another approach largely confined to several more advanced countries overseas, is that of frail care, where the individual contributes to a fund during his or her working life and in return is guaranteed suitable post retirement care
PERSONAL CHOICE: You should forget that medical attention is
essentially an intensely personal
matter. People become familiar and
comfortable with certain practitioners
whilst it is also fair to say that we each have a different value scale when it comes to medical expenses. For
example one person may be happy to the
pay the higher costs associated with a private ward at a private hospital
whereas for another the general ward at a
Government facility serves the
purpose adequately. Whilst this reality
makes it important to ensure sufficient
choice, it is also necessary to ensure that certain people do not abuse any scheme unduly at the expense of others.