Breaking down medical aid terms for the new year

It's that time of year when medical scheme members are required to choose their plan options for next year.

- Craig Torr

With an array of open medical schemes and hundreds of plan options to choose from, making a decision can be overwhelming, especially as members are generally not permitted to upgrade during the course of a benefit year.

Key to making a decision is to first understand the underlying terminology and industry-specific jargon. Let's have a closer look:

Acute condition: A condition that lasts a short period of time and can be cured. An acute condition normally disappears after treatment.

Acute medication: Medication that is prescribed as a once-off treatment to clear up an ailment such as antibiotics for a sinus infection or anti-fungal cream for a fungal infection.

Acute medication is normally paid from out-of-hospital benefits in the case of comprehensive medical aid or from your medical savings account.

Alternate health care: Also referred to as complementary medicines, this includes therapies such as chiropractic, homoeopathy, naturopathy, osteopathy and reflexology.