Medical aids not what doctor ordered

As a Discovery Health member I am fuming at the premium rate increase for 2017.

First, billions of rands are suspiciously paid to so-called “administrators”.

Second, the specialists that I consult charge me between R900 and R1 200 a visit, while Discovery refunds me about R360 per consultation – the identical amount that they pay out for general practitioners, who normally charge up to R700 per consultation.

This occurs despite the fact that the specialists are more qualified and spend considerably more time with patients than GPs do. We are being ripped off and I simply don’t know why we accept this exploitation by medical aids that earn mega profits. Sunninghill

D Wolpert,