Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana Medical Aid Society (BoMaid) has extended to all the health plans telephonic mental health consultation, which was previously restricted to some health plans.
Briefing the media recently, BoMaid chief executive officer, Mr Moraki Mokgosana explained that the development aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles, investing in preventive care and shifting from reactive treatment to proactive wellness.
Mr Mokgosana said BoMaid had since recognised that the world was in the middle of a mental health pandemic, hence the need to improve access to healthcare in instances where the cost of travel to health facilities may be a prohibiting factor.
“We will be introducing a platform for virtual consultations during the year. The tele-health platform will also allow people to get medical advice as well as prescription and support the goal of achieving a healthier and happier nation,” he said.
He added that in line with the society’s strategic intent to shift focus to being a prevention oriented medical aid, the screening and prevention basket would be enhanced and packaged into screening suites for various cohorts depending on age and gender to allow for early detection of associated risks.
He therefore encouraged their healthcare partners to conduct such tests routinely, saying there was a proposed improved reimbursement rate for the baskets of tests.
He further said the medical aidwould cover yellow fever shot.
Also, he said they had introduced a chronic basket in an effort to assist in the management of patients with chronic diseases, which included HIV/AIDS, diabetes, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic renal disease as well as a basket of care with additional general practitioner and specialist visits and pathology tests.
Furthermore, Mr Mokgosana said they had proposed an increase in consultations for expectant mothers this year.
He indicated that as home-based care pioneers in Botswana, BoMaid would introduce a home care solution for wound management, post-surgery management and rehabilitation.
Mr Mokgosana expressed concern about the out-of-pocket component in accessing healthcare.
“To further reduce the co-payments by our customers, we will be contracting with some of the practitioners in our network to further reduce those out-of-pocket expenses. A list of doctors will be available on the websites shortly,” he said.
He added that they had made some amendments such as reduction of waiting periods from 24 to 12 months, provision of cover for unemployed children over 25 years old, cover of foster children as well as for adult dependents who may not be parents or spouses of the principal member but were financially dependent on the principal member.
He further revealed that there was removal of some exclusions like breast reduction, willful injury, attempted suicide, alcohol and drug abuse as well as increase of period for registration of newborn children to 30 days.
On premium adjustments, he said ‘our annual premium adjustments were informed by a variety of factors including benefit utilisation, enhancements, disease burden and other socio-economic factors including healthcare inflation and consumer price inflation. We have since proposed an increase in premium for this year that ranges from seven to 12 per cent’.
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