New start-up hopes to improve cover for palliative care
Alignd offers a new managed care model it says will save money and give patients a greater say in their end of life care
Healthcare start-up firm Alignd is taking aim at medical schemes’ limited provisions for palliative care for cancer patients, and is offering the industry a new managed care model it says will save money and give patients a greater say in their end of life care. Palliative care has traditionally been viewed as care that is provided in the final weeks of a person’s life, but it can in fact be provided far earlier during the course of a terminal illness. It aims to provide holistic care to patients that considers physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and can be provided at home or in a facility. However, the Medical Schemes Act’s prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs) create a perverse incentive for end of life care to be provided in a costly hospital setting, as schemes are only obliged to provide 14 days of palliative care for terminal illness, said Alignd co-founder Linda Holding. PMBs are the minimum basket of care that all schemes must provide to their members, regardless of the ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.