What are Private Fixed Fees?

Mediclinic’s Private Fixed Fees packages make planning a surgery more transparent, efficient and affordable.

Mediclinic understands that patients not on a medical aid, or those who choose to pay upfront for their surgery, value accessible pricing. Mediclinic’s private fixed fees now make this easier for privately paying patients.

WHO QUALIFIES AS A PRIVATELY PAYING PATIENT?

Private fixed fees are available to patients who will be paying upfront for their surgery. This may include those without medical insurance, those whose insurance does not cover specific procedures or where medical aid benefits have been exhausted for the year.

DOES THIS FEE APPLY TO ME IF I’M ON MEDICAL AID?

This fee only applies to privately paying patients (in other words, those not claiming from their medical aid). In the case of a patient whose medical aid does not cover the procedure, or where benefits have been exhausted, the fee will apply as per an uninsured patient. Mediclinic will issue a quote for the specific procedure and the patient will pay upfront for the surgery.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE MEDICLINIC PRIVATE FIXED FEE?

Mediclinic’s private fixed fee refers to a quoted amount for a specific procedure for the indicated number of days, which includes the hospital costs related to the clinical treatment received in hospital. The hospital cost refers to the actual costs of care, including all nursing, theatre time, ward fees, medicine as well as other consumables. The private fixed fee excludes doctor fees, such as those for treating provider and anaesthetist. Associated provider fees rendered during the stay are also excluded, for example: radiology scans and pathology tests; prosthetic devices and mobility aids, such as crutches, wheelchairs and similar items, if required; and any take-home medication.

WHICH PROCEDURES ARE AVAILABLE?

Choose a fixed-fee procedure from a wide range of elective diagnostic and surgical procedures. Among others, they include:

• Caesarean or normal birth
• Eye surgery
• Hip or knee replacement
• Wisdom tooth extraction
• Ear, nose and throat surgery
• Biopsies
• Colonoscopy
• Hysterectomy
• Reconstructive surgery
• Vasectomy

Mediclinic will update this list regularly. Private fixed fees do not apply to admissions through the Emergency Centre. They are applicable only to planned procedures included on the private fixed fees list.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO STAY IN HOSPITAL LONGER THAN EXPECTED?

Through the statistics available to the hospital, the standard duration of treatment for any particular procedure has been calculated. This is known as the “length-of-stay cap”, and reflects the time frame up to which a patient’s admission is covered by the fixed fee. Length of stay is calculated per calendar day and not per night slept. If the length of stay for your procedure is shorter than this cap, the private fixed fee will remain the same. If you’re admitted longer than the length-of-stay cap, related treatment will be included in the fixed daily fee, regardless of the level of care delivered.

IF I HAVE A COMPLICATION FROM THE PROCEDURE, IS IT INCLUDED IN THE COST?

The fixed fee covers the hospital cost of treating any complication incurred during the admission. If a patient needs to stay longer than the lengthof-stay cap, any related treatment will be included in the fixed daily fee (per diem fee), regardless of the level of care being delivered. Don’t delay. Quality healthcare at an accessible price is available at your nearest Mediclinic.