Boosting medical cover

TRUE COST REMAINS LARGELY UNDOCUMENTED Rough estimate of some costs in SA cancer treatment

Prices for surgery, inpatient care, consultations and repetitive diagnostic and staging investigations are exponentially up: 2016 South African Medical Journal report.

The majority of cancer patients living in SA experience heavy financial strains, in some instances bankruptcy, due to unforeseen medical costs associated with the disease.

According to Cansa’s Melissa Wallace, typical medical aid cover is inadequate for these expenses. She adds there are additional costs like transport to treatment centres, accommodation nearby, giving up work to care for a patient, patients losing their jobs while undergoing treatment, managing side effects and/or rehabilitation, physiotherapy and basic lifestyle/diet changes.

A Sanlam Individual life report counts the hidden costs of cancer for patients:

Wigs: Hair loss is a chemotherapy side-effect. PriceCheck suggests human hair wigs cost R400-R4 000. Some salons discount wigs to patients and Cansa distributes them for free when available.

New clothes: Weight loss is common and R3 000 should be set aside.

Dietary modifications: Dietary changes are patient-dependent and should occur on a medical practitioner’s advice. A recent food barometer suggests you budget around R2 500 a month for healthy food. Transport: Measure distances to doctors and treatment centres and estimate the cost per trip. Some patients must travel longer distances or budget for alternative, closer accommodation. Household expenses: With patients often at home, costs of water, electricity, internet and tele- phone fees can escalate up to R1 000 extra per month.

Complementary therapies: Some patients seek alternative holistic therapies like acupuncture; others may see a psychologist. Appointments can cost R600-R1 000 per session.

Home modifications: If a patient’s mobility or strength is affected, parts of the home may have to be modified or renovated.

Home care: A live-in carer can cost R3 500 to R7 500 per month or more. Sanlam Individual Life’s Deon Theunis says the risk of falling into debt becomes very high.

Having severe illness cover is the best way to manage the financial risks.

“Severe illness cover is intended to pay for medical aid shortfalls and expenses not usually paid by medical aid,” he says.

“It can also supplement reduced incomes when the illness is so debilitating that a career change or even stopping work is required, and in some cases, the benefit assists with experiences like a holiday, to help ease the emotional impact of the disease.” Gap cover policies also help. Sanlam Gap Cover’s Feroza Joosub says it pays for the shortfall between what medical schemes pay for hospital procedures, certain out-patient services and the tariffs charged by medical professionals. Cansa also supports patients and survivors with free wigs, stoma bags and linen savers, home-based support, lymphedema treatment, and assistive devices and medical loan equipment.

It helps ease the emotional impact of the disease.