Patient FAQs
Gamma Knife South Africa Patient FAQ on cost, medical aid, authorisation and forms
1. How much does GK treatment cost?
There are two fees associated with the Gamma Knife treatment:
- Professional and technical fees and
- The cost of the imaging – an MRI scan and sometimes an angiogram or CT scan.
These fees vary according to which medical aid the patient is on or whether they are funding the treatment privately.
The Discovery Medical Aid rate (technical fee) is in the region of R145,000.
The private, discounted rate is R115,000 ie Discovery Medical Aid rate minus 20%.
The professional fee is charged by our specialists. This is in the region of R60,000 to R65,000.
The cost of the MRI planning scan is in the region of R8,000
2. Does my medical aid pay for GK surgery?
Yes, most medical aids cover the cost of the Gamma Knife treatment. This does depend on whether your fund has exclusions or has signed DSP agreements with certain vendors.
3. Is pre-authorisation required?
Yes, pre-authorisation from your funder or medical aid is required.
4. What codes must I give my medical aid?
You will not be required to obtain authorisation for your treatment. We have administrators who will assist you in requesting and obtaining authorisation.
The tariff codes for Gamma Knife treatment are:
- 5600 for the technical component (facility fee) and
- 5860 for the professional (doctor’s fee)
5. What forms do I need to complete?
Your referring specialist will send all your information through to the Gamma Knife unit as well as a treatment plan for the medical aid. This will all be submitted on your behalf.
Once your treatment has been approved, your surgery will proceed.
When you arrive at Gamma Knife South Africa for treatment, you will be required to sign an admission form to confirm all your details.
After your treatment has been discussed with you in detail, your treating doctor will ask you to sign a consent form, giving our expert team the go-ahead for your treatment.
6. What happens when I get to the Gamma Knife South Africa unit on the day of my treatment?
On arrival at the hospital, you will be escorted to the x-ray department to have your planning MRI scan. This scan takes approximately 40 minutes.
Then, you will proceed to our Gamma Knife unit and wait for the physicists and the doctors to formulate a treatment plan on your MRI scan.
Once the plan has been approved your Gamma Knife treatment will begin.
