TRAVEL CONSULTANT (TYGERVALLEY) in Western Cape | Other Tourism/Hospitality | Job Mail | 4276077
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SALES REPRESENTATIVE (KWA ZULU NATAL) in Kwazulu-Natal | Other Sales/Marketing | Job Mail | 4287131
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VERKOOPS in East London | Call Centre | Job Mail | 4291733
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VERKOOPS GHOEROES DRINGEND BENODIG! ONS IS OP SOEK NA 200 – 400 NUWE VERKOOPS KONSULTANTE ONS DOEN NASIONALE AANSTELLINGS BEGIN JOU LOOPBAAN IN VERKOPE EN BEMARKING. IS JY ‘N MENSE PERSOON, WEL GESPROKE MET ‘N VRIENDELIKE PERSOONLIKHEID EN ‘N VINNIGE LEERDER? JY MOET IN ‘N “FUNKY” OMGEWING KAN WERK. JY MOET JOUSELF KAN WEES. KRY DIE BESTE POS IN DIE WÊRELD VERGOEDING: GLYSKAAL BASIESE SALARIS + KOMMISSIE VERKOOPS POTENTIAAL TUSSEN R4 000 TOT R11 000 PER WEEK. + WEEKLIKSE PRESTASIE BONUSSE + JAARLIKSE BONUSSEONS HOOFKANTOOR IS IN RANDBURG: GAUTENG. ONDERHOUDE SAL IN VERSKEIE PROVINSIES GEHOU WORD. INDIEN DIE ONDERHOUD SUKSESVOL IS, MOET U SO GOU AS MOONTLIK BEGIN!!!!!!! ONS BENODIG ‘N CV MET BETROUBARE VERWYSINGS. VEREISTES: ‘N I-PAD OF ‘N TABLET OM ENIGE PLEK TE KAN WERK JY IS OP KANTOOR EEN MAAL PER WEEK, OF WERK VAN DIE HUIS AS JY OOR PRESTEER. KONTAK ONS AS VOLG: STUUR CV SLEGS VIA WHATS-APP NA 0827954485
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Every year, you are at risk of catching the flu virus, which can see you man down for days. Although we’ve seen many advancements with the flu vaccination, there might still be things you didn’t know about the flu – we’ve found eight interesting facts.
1. You can pass the flu on before you know you’re sick
Yes, that’s right – you’re contagious before you even realise you’re sick. The flu virus can incubate in your body for one to four days before you show any symptoms, which means you may be contagious before you start to feel sick.
What can you do to protect yourself? Wash your hands properly, dry them (germs can spread easily on wet hands), cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, and throw away snotty tissues.
2. Vitamin C won’t necessarily protect you
Linda Drummond, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Association for Dietetics in South Africa, previously told Health24 that although vitamin C does play an important role in boosting your immune system, research shows that supplementing with vitamin C won’t actually protect you from catching a cold or flu. “Studies have found that in some, but not all cases, vitamin C, as an isolated strategy, may help to reduce the duration of the illness, but not protect you from it,” she said.
The claim that vitamin C will protect you from flu started in the 1970s when American chemist Linus Pauling said it could prevent and alleviate colds. However, a 2010 Cochrane Collaboration review states that vitamin C supplements will not prevent colds or flu, “except perhaps in people exposed to severe physical stress, such as marathon runners”. The University of California Health department adds, “If there were a significant benefit, it wouldn’t be so hard to prove.”
3. Breathing is enough to spread the virus
Sneezing and coughing are not the only ways you can spread the flu virus. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says simply breathing is enough to pass it on.
“We found that flu cases contaminated the air around them with infectious virus just by breathing, without coughing or sneezing,” said Dr Donald Milton, professor of environmental health in the University of Maryland School of Public Health and lead researcher of the study. “People with flu generate infectious aerosols (tiny droplets that stay suspended in the air for a long time) even when they are not coughing, and especially during the first days of illness. So when someone is coming down with influenza, they should go home and not remain in the workplace and infect others.”
“The study findings suggest that keeping surfaces clean, washing our hands all the time, and avoiding people who are coughing does not provide complete protection from getting the flu,” added Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean of the Charles W Davidson College of Engineering at San José State University. “Staying home and out of public spaces could make a difference in the spread of the influenza virus.”
4. Your pets can get the flu but you can’t catch it from them
Just like humans, animals can also catch the flu – they may have similar symptoms, too, such as sneezing or coughing. However, because cold and flu viruses are generally species-specific, you cannot catch it from them – and you cannot pass your strain on to them.
“The common cold virus that affects humans is specific to humans. And different animal species have different strains of influenza virus that affect them. A pet’s coat could transiently harbour organisms that cause disease, but this is probably not very important. So don’t worry if your pet sneezes,” said Dr John Swartzberg, infectious disease specialist and the chair of the Editorial Board of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter and Berkeleywellness.com.
5. The flu vaccine might not protect you
Time reports that the flu vaccine only reduces the risk of illness by between 40 and 60% during flu season.
According to an article on CNN, how effectively it will protect you depends on how old you are, how healthy you are and how well the “match” of the vaccine is to the strain that is doing the rounds.
Dr Bill Schaffner, chairman of the preventative medicine department at Vanderbilt University, told CNN that the vaccine usually works best for young, healthy people. But, if you do get the flu, the vaccine can offer you some protection against the more dangerous complications, such as pneumonia.
Don’t forget, too, that the vaccine doesn’t offer immediate protection – it takes your body about two weeks to develop antibodies that will protect you from the virus.
6. The flu virus can live on surfaces
If you’re contagious, you can spread the flu virus up to 1.8m every time you cough or sneeze. Accidentally sneezed all over your desk? Wipe it down immediately – the flu virus can live for up to 48 hours on hard and nonporous surfaces.
And those tissues collecting in your pocket or handbag? The flu virus can live on tissues and clothing for up to 12 hours.
7. You become more social when infected
When you’re man down with the flu, it’s a good idea to stay home and recover without infecting anyone around you – and not just because you’re contagious. Research shows that your behaviour changes when you have been exposed to the flu virus, making you more social.
A study published in the Annals of Epidemiology says, “Human social behavior does, indeed, change with exposure. Compared to the 48 hours pre-exposure, participants interacted with significantly more people, and in significantly larger groups, during the 48 hours immediately post-exposure.”
8. A mask won’t protect you from getting the flu
Although covering your mouth with a mask might seem like a good preventative measure, it’s not effective. “If you’re sick with the flu and coughing and sputtering, those masks do prevent you from spraying those bugs everywhere,” said Dr M Lindsay Grayson, professor of medicine at the University of Melbourne and co-author of a study called A Quantitative Assessment of the Efficacy of Surgical and N95 Masks to Filter Influenza Virus in Patients with Acute Influenza Infection.
“Surgical masks are designed to trap respiratory secretions (including bacteria and viruses) expelled by the wearer and prevent disease transmission to others,” the study authors add. “Surgical masks are not designed to prevent inhalation of airborne particles.”
Earlier this month, Wandile Theophilus Mashego, an audiologist and speech therapist practising in Pretoria, was found guilty of 259 counts of medical aid fraud and one count for contravening Section 66 of the Medical Schemes Act. The case was brought against him by Bonitas Medical Fund after it was discovered he had been submitting fraudulent claims on behalf of members over a period of two years – from 2014 to 2015.
Kenneth Marion, Chief Operating Officer of Bonitas Medical Fund
A soon to be identified ‘runner’ provided details of Bonitas Medical Fund members to Mashego, who then billed Bonitas fraudulently, for ‘services’ to these members.
Mashego pleaded guilty under Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act 77 of 1951 and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, on the 259 counts of fraud with conditions that include:
Paying Bonitas back R506k as from 1 August 2018. Failure to pay will result in direct imprisonment
Correctional supervision for 36 months, which includes community service of 16 hours per month
House arrest for a period of 36 months (except when going to work)
Restricted to the Pretoria area for 36 months; and
Refrain from consuming alcohol, drugs, attending night clubs and taverns.
He was also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, on the one count for contravening Section 66 of the Medical Schemes Act and declared unfit to possess a firearm for five years because of the guilty verdict.
Kenneth Marion, Chief Operating Officer of Bonitas said, “We identified a sharp spike in his claims and some members contacted the Scheme complaining about claims submitted on their accounts without their knowledge and no service having been rendered to them. We are indebted to the whistle blowers and to SAPS for ensuring that he was convicted and sentenced and for other recent convictions and sentencing we have had in the recent months.”
It is estimated that 15% of claims in the healthcare industry contain an element of Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA). For a scheme of Bonitas’ size, this translates to a loss of R190m. “To address this”, says Marion, “We implemented initiatives against FWA, including hospital and pharmacy claim analytics. The result was the identification of FWA of R129.8m, with R31.2m recovered in 2017.” The Scheme further benefitted from R75m in potential savings.
“Five imprisonment sentences have been handed down by the judiciary – clearly indicating a zero tolerance approach to this white collar crime.”
According to Section 66 of the Medical Schemes Act, medical aid fraud, committed either by a member or a healthcare practitioner, is a criminal offence which carries a fine or imprisonment or both. In the instances where a healthcare provider is guilty of committing fraud, all fraudulent claims are reversed and the healthcare provider is reported to the relevant regulatory body and a criminal case opened.
A member found guilty of committing fraud will have their membership terminated. One member was terminated by Bonitas during quarter 2 of 2018 for involvement in fraudulent activities. All fraudulent claims submitted will be reversed and the member will be liable for them. A criminal case will also be opened. In addition, members who commit fraud may also have their employment jeopardised – especially in cases where their medical aid contributions are subsidised by their employer.
“The repercussions of fraud are widespread but it has a very direct impact on each and every member of the Fund,” explains Marion. “Medical schemes are owned by their members and when money is defrauded from the Scheme it can contribute towards increased premiums. In fact the money we recovered last year could have been used to pay for around 57,000 more GP consultations or 18 lung or liver transports.”
Members need to be vigilant
“We believe that our most invaluable tool against FWA remains our members,” says Marion. “To assist them to be proactive in joining us in the fight, we have a toll-free fraud hotline (0800 112 811) to report any incidents of suspected fraud, waste and abuse and encourage them to use it.
“In our experience, the biggest single deterrent is making it known that we are actively investigating every suspicious or unusual claim or activity. Education in terms of the relationships with medical aids, their members and the healthcare providers goes a very long way in curbing the abuse of medical aid benefits and, as such, our approach to fraud management speaks to this education component in all the matters we deal with.”
Who are the culprits?
The culprits are not just medical practitioners. Guilty parties are found all along the healthcare delivery chain – from medical practitioners through to employees, service providers and members. There has also been an increase in collusion between members and healthcare providers.
The trends
Marion says fraud may not necessarily be on the increase but the high level analysis means medical schemes are uncovering substantially more fraud than previously. Current trends seem to be ‘phony doctors or medical practitioners’ who submit claims, using another doctors’ practice number. Sometimes this is done in collaboration with members.
Other fraudulent activity
Waste and abuse is far higher than fraud and is more easily quantifiable in terms of values as it is usually a clear contravention of tariff codes or a rule that exists. Most of the common practices include:
Billing for services not rendered (over billing);
Using incorrect codes for services (at a higher tariff);
Waiving of deductibles and/or co-payments;
Billing for a non-covered service as a covered one;
Unnecessary or false prescribing of drugs; and
Corruption due to kick-backs and bribery
Here are some tips of members of medical aids to help prevent fraud
Keep your personal medical scheme details (such as your membership number) private
Check your medical scheme statements to make sure that all claims are correct and that you actually received the services you are being charged for
Keep your membership card safe
Report any suspicious activity call 0800 112 811
“We are encouraged at the increased reports by our members. Fraud directly impacts them so we all need to be more diligent in checking our billings and questioning unnecessary procedures. The contribution by members, combined with our internal fraud-tracking system and investigations by SAPS and prosecution by NPA will all work together to put a stop to fraud, wastage and abuse and help reduce spiralling healthcare costs. It’s a win-win for everyone,” concluded Marion.
