JOURNAL PAPER XIII | COVID-19
POLMED’S ROLE IN MINIMISING the impact of COVID-19 on its members AUTHORS Jaco Makkink Vuyokazi Mpongashe
PEER REVIEWER: Shan Naidoo
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Polmed implemented several risk-mitigating strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19, as well as protect its members and service providers against possible infection. Some of the strategies implemented were:
A stand-alone COVID-19 benefit package, payable from hospital risk even before the Council for Medical Schemes declared COVID-19 a prescribed minimum benefit (PMB) disease
Funding of personal protective equipment (PPE) to all service providers taking care of Polmed patients, either in hospital or on an outpatient basis
Strategic purchasing initiatives to ensure optimal prices were paid for PPE as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing
Patient-under-investigation funding protocols when patients were admitted to hospital and the diagnosis of COVID-19 was not yet confirmed
Telehealth funding guidelines and agreed tariffs with GPs, in order to ensure virtual consultations were funded if and when indicated
WaIving of co-payments when members were admitted to non-network hospitals. This intervention ensured that treating doctors were not expected to travel from one hospital to another, which led to lower exposure to possible infection
No vaccine is available to protect against COVID-19, and neither is there a registered treatment available. Evidence-based reimbursement guidelines were therefore developed to ensure best practice was followed when medication was funded to assist members suffering from the disease
Polmed introduced a routine screening and testing initiative whereby all South African Police Service (SAPS) members who were fully operational during the lockdown were screened and referred for possible further testing based on their observed clinical symptoms and signs
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