Skin Lesion / Cancer Surgery
Skin Lesion / Cancer Surgery
The removal of skin cancers or other lesions can be performed in the consulting rooms or in a day clinic or hospital, depending on the size and location of the lesion and at the surgeon’s discretion. He will discuss the options with you at your consultation. Your individual medical aid plan and requirements is also a consideration, so you need to confirm this with your medical aid before the consultation.
PROCESS to be followed:
1. Most medical aids require that patients have a referral letter from their General Practitioner or Dermatologist to a Plastic Surgeon for a suspicious or bothersome skin lesion.
2. You will need to get pre-authorisation from your medical aid for the consultation and/or in-rooms excision procedure before the appointment. The necessary information your medical aid requires for this authorisation can be obtained from the practice.
3. A consultation fee is payable at the first consultation, even if medical aid approval has been obtained. You will be given a receipt and tax invoice for your payment, which you need to submit together to claim the consultation fee back from your medical aid.
4. Excisions can be performed at the first consultation, in the consulting room theatre or a theatre date is scheduled.
5. Again, pre-authorisation must be obtained from your medical aid for the in-hospital procedure. This is the patient’s responsibility, but the practice will assist with all the required information, as per HPCSA guidelines
6. The lesion that is removed is sent for analysis by a pathologist, which will be an additional expense, payable to the pathology firm.
7. This analysis takes approximately one week before we receive the report.
8. We then submit a claim to your medical aid for the procedure, with the histology report.
9. If the lesion is confirmed by the pathologist as a skin cancer, we apply to your medical aid for Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB) payment in full.
10. Your medical aid may refuse to pay Dr Maree’s account in full, on the grounds of him not being contracted-in to your medical aid. In which case, the patient is responsible for the shortfall of the account.
11. Following surgery, follow-up consultations are no charge for up to 3 months afterwards, according to HPCSA guidelines.