Struggling to understand account statements, or feeling lost?
Navigating hospital administrative processes whilst dealing with illness and healthcare administration can feel overwhelming.
At Botshilu, our administration team provides friendly, helpful assistance with hospital bookings, medical aid queries, financial arrangements, patient registration, and all administrative aspects of your hospital experience.
You don’t need to feel lost in confusing paperwork; our experienced administrative staff is committed to making your hospital experience as smooth as possible are here to help.
Hospital Administration
Our Administration Services
Main Reception and General Enquiries
Your First Point of Contact:
Our main reception is the heart of hospital operations, welcoming visitors, directing enquiries, and coordinating services.
Main Reception Services:
- General hospital information
- Directions to wards, departments, and services
- Visiting hours information
- Connecting you to the appropriate departments
- Emergency assistance coordination
- Visitor support
Patient Feedback:
- Compliments and Complaints
Admissions Department
Coordinating Your Hospital Stay:
Admissions department manages all aspects of hospital admission, from initial booking through room assignment.
Admissions Services:
Pre-Admission:
- Booking elective admissions
- Coordinating admission dates with surgeons, anaesthetists, ward availability
- Pre-admission information (what to bring, preparation instructions, financial arrangements)
- Medical aid pre-authorisation assistance
- Answering pre-admission questions
Day of Admission:
- Patient registration
- Verifying personal details, medical aid information
- Collecting consent forms
- Explaining financial responsibilities
- Room assignment
- Coordinating transport to ward
Medical Aid Pre-Authorisation Support:
- Assisting with pre-authorisation process
- Liaising with medical aid schemes
- Verifying authorisation before admission
- Explaining what’s covered and potential shortfalls
- Resolving authorisation issues
Financial Arrangements:
- Explaining expected costs
- Discussing payment options
- Arranging deposits when required
- Setting up payment plans if needed
- Providing estimates (though exact costs often uncertain until treatment completed)
What You Need for Admission:
- Valid ID document or passport
- Medical aid card and membership details
- Pre-authorisation number from medical aid
- Referral letter from doctor
- Previous medical records (if relevant)
- Contact details for next of kin
Medical Aid Services:
Pre-Authorisation Assistance:
- Coordinating pre-authorisation applications (typically surgeon’s rooms initiate, but we assist)
- Following up on pending authorisations
- Resolving authorisation delays
- Explaining authorisation requirements
- Ensuring authorisation in place before admission (crucial, without it, medical aid may refuse payment
Benefits Verification:
- Confirming your medical aid coverage
- Explaining what’s covered under your plan
- Identifying potential shortfalls
- Advising about co-payments
- Checking benefit limits and remaining balance
Claims Submission:
- Submitting hospital claims to medical aid schemes
- Ensuring claims are complete and accurate
- Following up on unpaid claims
- Resolving claim queries or rejections
- Coordinating with medical aid schemes
Medical Aid Queries:
- Answering questions about medical aid processes
- Explaining benefit structures
- Helping understand medical aid correspondence
- Resolving disputes or denials
- Coordinating appeals when medical aid refuses coverage inappropriately
Accounts Department
Managing Financial Aspects:
Hospital accounts department manages billing, payments, and financial queries.
Accounts Services:
Hospital Billing:
- Generating hospital accounts (ward charges, theatre fees, medications, equipment, hospital services)
- Submitting accounts to medical aid schemes
- Billing patients for amounts medical aid doesn’t cover
- Providing itemized statements
- Explaining charges
Payment Processing:
- Processing payments (cash, card, EFT, direct deposit)
- Issuing receipts
- Allocating payments to correct accounts
- Managing medical aid payments
Account Queries:
- Explaining account statements
- Investigating billing errors
- Correcting mistakes
- Providing detailed breakdowns of charges
- Answering questions about specific items
Payment Arrangements:
- Discussing payment difficulties
- Arranging payment plans when needed
- Setting up instalments for large balances
- Working with patients facing financial hardship
Outstanding Accounts:
- Sending statements for unpaid balances
- Payment reminders
- Following up on overdue accounts
- Negotiating settlements when appropriate
Deposit Requirements:
- Some admissions require deposits (self-paying patients, insufficient medical aid coverage)
- Explaining deposit requirements
- Arranging deposit payments
- Refunding excess deposits after medical aid pays
Understanding Hospital Bills:
Hospital bills are complex, typically including:
- Ward charges (accommodation, nursing care, daily rate)
- Theatre fees (operating theatre time, equipment, recovery)
- Medications (all medications administered during stay)
- Medical consumables (syringes, dressings, IV lines, surgical supplies)
- Procedures (specific charges for procedures beyond surgery)
- Pathology (blood tests, specimens, often billed separately by Ampath)
- Radiology (X-rays, scans, often billed separately)
Separate Bills:
Hospital bill is separate from:
- Specialist fees (surgeon, anaesthetist, physician, other specialists bill separately)
- Pathology fees (Ampath bills directly)
- Other services (some services may bill independently)
You may receive multiple bills for single hospital stay, confusing but standard practice.
Shortfalls:
“Shortfall” is the difference between what medical aid pays and what providers charge. Common with specialists charging above medical aid rates. You’re responsible for shortfalls, can be substantial, especially for major surgery.
Patient Registration and Records
Managing Your Information:
Accurate patient records are essential for safe effective care.
Patient Registration:
New Patients:
- Registering in hospital system
- Collecting demographic information (name, ID, address, contact details)
- Next of kin information
- Medical aid details
- Creating patient file
Updating Information:
- Changing contact details
- Updating medical aid information
- Correcting errors
- Adding next of kin or emergency contacts
Medical Records:
What We Keep:
- Admission records
- Doctors’ notes
- Nursing records
- Investigation results
- Operative notes
- Discharge summaries
- Consent forms
Accessing Your Records:
- You have right to access your medical records
- Request through administration
- May require completion of access request form
- Small fee may apply for copies
- Allow time for retrieval and copying
Transferring Records:
- Requesting records sent to other healthcare providers
- Requires your written consent
- Coordination between facilities
Confidentiality:
- Medical records are confidential
- Only released with your consent or legal requirement
- Protected under POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act)
Appointment Scheduling
Coordinating Consultations and Procedures:
Whilst many specialists manage their own appointment systems through private consulting rooms, hospital assists with certain appointments.
Accurate patient records are essential for safe effective care.
What We Help Schedule:
Hospital-Based Services:
- Radiology appointments (X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans)
- Pathology (complex tests requiring scheduling)
- Therapies (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy)
- Procedures (endoscopy, colonoscopy, minor procedures)
- Pre-admission clinic appointments
- Follow-up wound care or dressing changes
Specialist Consultations:
- Contact specialist’s consulting rooms directly (contact details available on our website or through reception)
- Some specialists coordinate through hospital, we can assist with contact information
Providing Information:
- You’ll need: referral letter, medical aid details, preferred dates/times
- Confirmation provided (date, time, location, preparation instructions)
- Reminders (SMS or phone call reminders for appointments)
Changes and Cancellations:
- Contact relevant department to reschedule
- Provide as much notice as possible
- Cancellation fees may apply for some procedures if inadequate notice
Patient Relations and Feedback
Supporting Patient Experience:
Patient Relations coordinates feedback, complaints, and patient support.
Services:
During Your Stay:
- Addressing concerns or complaints
- Resolving issues affecting your care or comfort
- Liaison between patients/families and clinical teams
- Supporting patients through difficult situations
Feedback:
- Receiving patient feedback (positive and negative)
- Coordinating patient satisfaction surveys
- Analysing feedback for quality improvement
- Sharing feedback with relevant departments
Complaints:
- Receiving formal complaints
- Coordinating investigations
- Providing formal responses
- Escalating serious concerns
- Following up on resolutions
Patient Advocacy:
- Ensuring patient voices are heard
- Supporting vulnerable patients
- Coordinating with social services when needed
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Concerns and Honest Answers
Your surgeon coordinates admission dates. Contact admissions department with your surgeon's referral. We'll verify medical aid authorisation, schedule admission, provide preparation instructions.
Yes, for almost all planned admissions and procedures. Your surgeon's rooms typically arrange this, but confirm it's obtained before admission. Without pre-authorisation, medical aid may refuse payment.
Contact your medical aid scheme directly, they provide most accurate information about your specific plan. We can verify basic coverage and assist with authorisation, but cannot guarantee what medical aid will pay.
Contact medical aid understanding why. Sometimes additional clinical information changes decision. We can assist coordinating information. If medical aid still refuses, you can proceed as self-paying patient or seek second opinion about necessity.
Not usually. Accounts are typically finalized after discharge, submitted to medical aid, then you're billed for amounts medical aid doesn't cover. You'll receive statements showing charges, medical aid payments, and balance owing.
Contact accounts department immediately. Payment plans can sometimes be arranged. Ignoring bills makes situation worse. Communicate early and honestly about financial difficulties.
Yes. Submit written request to records department. Small fee may apply for copies. Allow several days for retrieval and copying.
Contact patient relations by email (complaints@botshilu.co.za) or phone (012-XXX-XXXX). Provide detailed information. You'll receive acknowledgement within 3 working days, investigation, and formal response.
Contact admissions department as soon as possible. Provide maximum notice. Reschedule when ready. Some procedures may have cancellation fees if inadequate notice.
Yes. Family members can assist with admission paperwork, financial arrangements, collecting records. For some tasks (accessing medical records, discussing accounts), you may need to provide written consent.