A hospital visit is not enjoyable. Most times when you are admitted from the emergency room, you have to endure being poked with needles, examined in uncomfortable places and subjected to the all-around discomfort of not being in your own home. If that isn’t enough, after being treated, you have to pay the bills, which usually add up to a few thousand rands.

A hospital visit doesn’t have to be unbearable, and it usually helps when you’re prepared for the experience. Here are a few things to consider and expect before your next trip. 

Waiting periods

Emergency rooms are usually packed to the brim; this is true for both private and government facilities. In South Africa, there is a serious shortage of doctors compared to the number of patients seen each day. 

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said in a 2019 parliamentary Q&A session that the main reason for this shortage is that the public health sector budget has been stagnant for over a decade. A lack of funds means that new doctors cannot be hired, or paid. 

“The shortage of health professionals is a global phenomenon and is more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries as health workers are more likely to migrate to upper-middle-income countries in search of better living and working conditions,” he said.

Mkhize added that the demand for health services in the country is increasing while there is no additional funding to address the change, which results primarily from immigration into the country and the increasing burden of disease, Business Tech reports.

During your hospital visit, expect to wait anywhere from two hours to two days, depending on the hospital’s triage system. If you aren’t in any immediate danger, you may be much better served by seeing a private doctor.

Everything costs money during a hospital visit

From the gauze to the cotton balls, every single thing that is used to treat you is added to your bill. But this isn’t the worst of it, as even the so-called ‘free’ service at government facilities carry a cost in South Africa. 

According to the KwaZulu-Natal health department spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi, people who are employed are expected to pay a percentage of the total cost of their treatment, and this has always been the case. 

There is a national policy document that allows the state to charge for healthcare at all state hospitals using a “means test”, which calculates the percentage you will be charged based on your annual earnings. This is why you are asked for your personal details and work information when you register at the reception desk at the beginning of your hospital visits. 

“This is a national policy and is not new. It forms part of the National Health Act and falls under a test to determine payment at public facilities. That information is available to the public,” he told the Sunday Times. 

However, he did make it clear that no patients would be turned away if they cannot afford “the fee”, although pregnant women, pensioners and young children are exempt from the fee. 

You are liable, before your medical cover

Medical aid and medical insurers are not the first parties liable to cover the expense of your hospital stay – you are. This is why it is most important to ensure that you receive pre-authorisation before you have any treatment done; especially if you are under a hospital plan. 

Yes, there is a difference between a hospital plan and hospital insurance. Hospital plans (not hospital insurance) are regulated by the Medical Schemes Act of 1998, explains Finance 24. Like medical schemes, hospital plans have to adhere to strict regulations stipulated by the Council for Medical Schemes, the regulatory body of the industry.

A significant difference is that a medical aid hospital plan will pay the hospital directly and will likely cover the full costs of any in-hospital procedures. Hospital insurance will pay a set lump sum, or daily fee into your personal bank account to assist you with the cost of your stay in the hospital.
Hospital insurance is usually much more affordable than a hospital plan – much like hospital plans are usually half the price of full medical aid cover. Having a hospital insurance plan like Affinity Health will assist with paying some of the cost of being admitted, instead of you being required to pay the full amount. 

With hospital insurance, you may find that you still have to foot some of the costs yourself. Always check with your insurance before admission. 

The Medical Society also offers a health coverage plan that operates in partnership with strategically located centres. The Medical Society is able to assist thousands of people in need of primary medical care, every day.

Once you have signed up and paid your first premium, your policy is effective from the commencement date. There are NO WAITING PERIODS.

There are also Plus Benefits, which include digital sick notes for work or school, eye screenings and GP referrals.

The basics of a hospital visit

Besides the admin involved in being admitted, there are some personal things to consider as well. Be sure to follow your physician’s prep guidelines if you are booked for a procedure. Usually, people are told to abstain from food and water to prevent nausea from any anaesthetic they may be administered. Pack a bag with toiletries and perhaps take a book with you to keep you occupied while you wait. Sometimes hospital schedules can be interrupted due to emergencies. 

Take any chronic medication with you, and any documentation given to you by your GP, such as a referral letter.