Prior authorisation required for Emergency tretment?!?!

To all out there.... remember to consult your medical aid and confirm that it is ok to get an accident! If not, you will pay the bills yourself!

My mother had an accident of a bad fall and hit her head during this accident. I saw this happen. Her head whip-lashed as I looked on in horror while the fell to the ground. Luckily a foreign doctor was almost immediately on scene as he was passing by. He said not to move her as she might have badly damaged her neck and definately needed stitches. She was transported via ambulance to the ER en after needing to assure himself by requesting a second Radiology scan, the doctor on duty found that there was no permanent damage to the neck. She got 7 stitches. where she hit her head.

Such a situation is life and death, if you assume there is no permanent damage and do move the patient, he or she might die when a broken neck shifts. Head injuries are considered serious in any accident. You are taught that in your first aid training.

So according to the medical aid, because the neck was ok in the end, it is not considered an emergency!! So rather take your chances, even if it is life or death!!

My mother is the opposite of an Hypocondriac, and the one time she could be convinced to rather go to the ER, it cost her thousands.

You pay thousands every year to your medical aid and they wiggle themselves out of every possible claim with clever wording and small print.

And I thought Medi help is one of the best... BHA!