PRACTICE INFORMATION

Terms & Conditions

The full text of the contract referred to by the abbreviated form completed when a patient joins the practice.

Dear Valued Patient

This document explains the general conditions under which this practice sees patients. It does not constitute an informed consent to any specific treatment, nor a quotation or price for any service rendered by the practice. Informed consent and price information will be provided each time you visit the practice and will depend on the care you need/seek, and other factors such as your medical scheme cover.

This text is the full version of the binding contract between you, the patient, and the practice which new patients sign in abbreviated form (referring to this) when joining the practice for the first time. You may only sign consent on behalf of yourself or your dependents under the age of 18 years or authorized dependents. For patients on medical scheme plans and over the age of 18 years and registered as dependents on a medical scheme plan, an individual signature is required on a separate form as a binding contract with this practice.

YOUR HEALTHCARE IS IMPORTANT TO US

You will be asked to provide your informed consent for any medical investigation, treatment or procedure to be performed by the doctor. Your rights obligate the practice to discuss the clinical aspects, financial implications pertaining to your health status, the diagnostic process as well as the different treatment options available. You have the right to retract your informed consent at any stage or to refuse such medical care. Should your treatment include admission to a healthcare facility where other healthcare specialists (like anesthesiologists, physiotherapists, etc.) also become involved in your care and management, you will be asked to provide informed consent to their respective treatment and professional fee policies.

Under the provisions of The Children's Act, children may consent to certain treatment from the age of 12 years. Doctors are obliged to guard the healthcare information of these children, and to keep it confidential and only divulge the information subject to the child's consent. Please request the practice management staff to provide examples of these conditions, should you require further information. Parents / guardians are however required by law to cover the expenses incurred for the healthcare of their children.

WHAT DOES YOUR MEDICAL AID COVER?

The current medical aid market environment provides multiple options for patients, but many of the plans have restrictive limits on treatment, with fewer benefits, and some medicine restrictions.

It remains your primary responsibility to familiarise yourself with the benefits and conditions of your medical aid plan. It is important that you know your benefit status with regard to the extent of your health cover, referral restrictions, savings account balances registration and pre- authorization processes, waiting periods and other requirements. The Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 and its regulations entitle members of a medical scheme to all information on their benefits and limitations of their plan. You are responsible to acquaint yourself with the benefits, insured rates and terms and conditions of your medical scheme plan.

Where a Designated Service Provider has been appointed by your medical aid, it remains your responsibility to be cognizant of this and to bear responsibility for any restrictions that may follow (either medically or financially) when consulting a non-designated doctor or facility.

If referral for specialist care or hospitalization is required, it remains your responsibility to ensure that the planned treatment is covered by your medical aid and that the necessary finances are in place to cover any non-insured costs. The practice will, where possible assist you with obtaining authorization and where your medical aid questions the appropriateness of your treatment, your doctor may submit a letter of motivation to the medical scheme if appropriate and may also insist on a peer-to-peer discussion in such instances.

SETTLING OF ACCOUNTS & CO-PAYMENTS

To avoid misunderstanding regarding payment policies and to maintain the professional healthcare standards of this practice, you will be informed of the current payment options and policies available in the practice.

These fees are determined based upon the appropriateness of the quality and standard of services rendered. No accounts will be rendered for services not delivered or delivered to someone else. The practice personnel can inform you if the practice has an agreed policy in place with your medical scheme, at your request.

You will be informed of the practice billing policy and the prices for services generally rendered by the practice. Where an exact price cannot be presented, a quotation aligned with applicable laws will be provided, subject to its own terms and conditions. Due to the billing policy of the practice and the fee your medical aid is reimbursing at, a co-payment may have to be levied by the medical aid or the practice.

In respect of account payment, the following applies:

• Accounts are payable within 30 (thirty) days from date of statement.
• Patients remain responsible for their accounts, and those of their dependants, regardless of whether or not such an account has been submitted to a medical aid or other third party for payment. (That is, if the medical aid refuses payment, or does not pay within 30 days, the patient is responsible for payment.)
• Should the account not be paid within this period, it will be regarded as in default.
• Interest may be charged on overdue amounts at a rate not exceeding 2% (two percent) per month, or such maximum rate as may be permitted in terms of the National Credit Act 34 of 2005, calculated from the date of default to date of payment.
• The practice reserves the right to charge reasonable default administration charges and collection costs in respect of overdue accounts, to the extent permitted by the National Credit Act 34 of 2005.
• Should the account remain unpaid for a period exceeding 90 (ninety) days from date of statement, the practice may, without further notice, hand the account over to a debt collection agency or attorney for recovery.
• The patient will be liable for all reasonable legal and collection costs incurred in the recovery of the debt, including attorney’s fees on the scale as between attorney and client, to the extent permitted by the National Credit Act 34 of 2005.

It remains your responsibility to inform and update all personal and medical aid detail information with the practice and that you undertake to keep the practice regularly informed with regards with any changes on your contact details, benefits and list of dependents. Please note that the use of someone else's medical aid card with or without such a person's consent or knowledge constitutes fraud. This practice will report such instances to the medical aid concerned to protect the practice from being regarded as an accomplice in the fraud.

Medical Aid Escalation Processes: Should you have any queries or complaints, or perceive that you have been misinformed about your medical aid benefits, the suggested route for these to be lodged is the following: (1) Your Medical Scheme (2) Scheme Principal Officer (3) Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) at 012 431 0500 or visit www.medicalschemes.com

INDEMNITY & DISCLAIMER

The practice, or its employees, agents or representatives shall not in any way be liable for any loss, damage or injury of whatever nature (and arising from whatsoever cause) which may occur or be sustained by any person or property while on these premises. Entry to the premises is at the sole risk of the entrant.

Your attention is especially drawn to the fact that we have a SWIMMING POOL. Although covered, it remains your responsibility to keep yourself, your children and any person dependent on you for care, safe by keeping them away from the swimming pool.

Your attention is further drawn to the UNEVEN SURFACES outside, and the small slope between the reception and the waiting room. We ask that you take care at all times while on the property.

SICK CERTIFICATES

This practice will only provide sick certificates should the specific condition so warrant. If a diagnosis is provided on the sick certificate, the certificate will only be handed or emailed to you unless otherwise requested by you in writing. It remains your discretion to disclose your condition or diagnosis to your employer. If you or your employer is considering claiming for a disability, you may be required to disclose the nature and extent of such a disability to your employer and insurance company. Please note that our sick certificates are protected by a QR code which enables you or an employer to verify their authenticity.

MEDICINES FORMULARIES & SUBSTITUTION

The Medicines Act 101 of 1965 determines that a pharmacist may substitute a product that appears on a prescription with a generic equivalent provided that the substitution contains exactly the same amount of active substances taken in the same dosage and taken via the same route. No prescription may be substituted where the doctor indicates "no generic substitution" on your prescription. This law does not allow for therapeutic switches i.e. medicine in which the substances are not equivalent as described above although it may have the same or similar effect. If you have any questions in this regard, please speak to your doctor.

Should you experience any side effects of any nature, please contact the doctor immediately and bring along with package(s) and the medication(s) that you have been taking. Bear in mind that various medicines may interact with each other and you have the responsibility to inform the doctor of all the medication you are taking at each consultation or visit, as well as any allergies.

CANCELLATIONS & NO-SHOWS

Please note that this practice charges for no-shows. We fully understand that circumstances change and will not charge for cancelled appointments provided at least one hour’s notice is provided. Cancellations with less than one hour’s notice and no-shows will be charged for in full.

MEDIATION

In line with this practice’s firm belief in the centrality of relationships and the importance of restoring relationships in the event of any conflict or breakdown, we have made it a precondition that in the event of any claim arising from the treatment of the patient or their dependents by Dr Gaunt or any member of her staff the claimant shall, prior to taking any legal action, promptly initiate a free and confidential pre-mediation meeting with an accredited mediator from the Mediation in Motion NPO.

AFTER-HOURS SERVICES AND BILLING

If you need a doctor outside of normal working hours, we will do my best to be available to help you. In the interests of being awake enough to see the next day’s patients, please limit calls to things that really can't wait. Of course, some things just can't. If you have an immediately life-threatening emergency, you should rather call an ambulance or proceed immediately to Port Alfred Hospital. We do not generally provide medical advice via Whatsapp or email, but telephonic, in-person (preferably at the practice) and occasionally house-calls are possible. By phoning the practice after-hours and proceeding to seek medical advice, you are consenting to be billed for a telephonic consultation should you not need to be seen in person. Invoices will be submitted to medical aids for insured patients who are known to the practice. Uninsured patients, or patients who regularly attend another practice will be required to pay immediately and claim back from their medical aid, where relevant.