Med Shield News Updates

Few things have better served to highlight how tenuous our health is and the importance of taking every step to ensure it than the Covid-19 pandemic. While the virus proved fatal for many of its victims, far more were confined to a bed in hospital, often for periods lasting several… Read more »

If you were in the market for a new car, you would be unlikely to pop into the nearest showroom and opt for the model with the lowest price tag. Instead, you would first consider which vehicle might best fulfil your needs and those of your family before choosing the… Read more »

The benefits to members who purchase private healthcare insurance can vary considerably. They differ between providers and the individual products offered by a particular scheme. In practice, anyone seeking cover for the first time or contemplating a change should compare medical aids before arriving at a decision. The first step… Read more »

Since the British Scientist, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989, slowly but surely, it changed the way we now perform almost all of our everyday tasks. Few people now own a fountain pen or write letters, thanks to email. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, many were already… Read more »

Many South Africans desperately need more affordable medical aid, but are cheap hospital plans their best option? Firstly, one must accept that “cheap” and “affordable” are not synonyms. In practice, the former word is often paired with “nasty” and indicates a product or service of inferior quality. The nation’s short-term… Read more »

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stark reminder of how vulnerable even normally healthy individuals can be. Many fit South Africans found themselves fighting for their lives on respirators in an intensive care unit. Imagine facing a huge hospital bill after months of lost income following a motor accident. Such… Read more »

The past decade has seen South Africans facing unprecedented financial pressure. Initially, that pressure resulted from a global recession. However, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to delay the hoped-for economic recovery. Consequently, most consumers have tightened their purse strings and shop with far more restraint than previously necessary.… Read more »

Sadly, the glory days of South Africa’s exemplary national healthcare service have long since become a distant memory. It was not a lack of skilled and dedicated doctors and nurses that led to its decline, but the escalating demand for treatment that eventually exceeded their capacity of an inadequately funded… Read more »

Medical schemes in South Africa are tasked with providing the public with financial assistance to meet the high cost of private healthcare. Only some of these are only open to those in defined groups such as the staff of large companies, members of professional bodies and workers in specified occupations,… Read more »

As healthcare costs continue to escalate year on year, the pressure on state-funded medical facilities is increasing. Waiting lists are at an all-time high and show no signs of easing, forcing more South Africans to consider seeking attention from the private sector. While some wealthier citizens can meet private healthcare… Read more »