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Crowdsourcing care

Walter Pike's battle with inoperable stage four prostate cancer says so much about the connected world we live in.

Joanne Carew
By Joanne Carew, ITWeb Cape-based contributor.
Johannesburg, 25 Apr 2017

I recently received an e-mail from my medical insurer detailing a few changes. This important notice explained that the last few years have proven quite challenging for the industry, with a recent increase in claims much higher than had been experienced in previous years.

In an effort to not affect the level of benefits given to me, their valued member, they informed me they'd be modifying things a bit. And with hospitalisation accounting for close to half the fund's claims expenditure, this is where they decided to make said modifications. Basically, should you want to be admitted to a group of 14 specific hospitals, you'll incur a 30% co-payment. That is unless you're in a life-threatening situation, in which case this co-payment will be waived. Gee, thanks. I think.

Without wanting to sound like too much of a "Negative Nancy", this whole thing really got my back up. I read their mail as: "Hey guys, we're grateful for your business and that you've been paying your premiums every month but our expenses have gone up and we don't really like that. Honestly, we don't want to carry this cost so we've decided to pass it on to you. We hope you understand, because, you know, you don't really have much choice in the matter. Okay, thanks, bye."

I'm not going to name and shame my insurer - that isn't the point of this column - what I am going to do is use this little example to highlight an emerging trend that I think is pretty interesting and exciting.

Social inspiration

Accepting that I'll probably have to fork out a bit of cash should I need to visit a hospital in the near future, I decided to do some research.

And what I came across was an inspiring story.

In just three days, his crowdfunding efforts amassed over R50 000 in donations and his online petitions garnered substantial support.

I've never formally met Walter Pike but I've heard him speak at industry events and have read his opinions on all things advertising, social media and digital marketing. At the end of last year, I remember coming across an article he'd written about being told he had Cancer. A poignant piece describing the "conversations" he's had with his beloved horses after his diagnosis, I was moved by his bravery, his candour.

Fast forward to a just few weeks ago and I again found myself reading about Walter's struggles with the Big C. But this time the stories were more focused on a different battle - one with his medical aid.

Having recently been told that he has just a matter of years to live, Walter decided to fight. He'd come across an "experimental" treatment that could potentially save his life. Unfortunately, his medical aid scheme, FedHealth, was initially fairly reluctant to foot the bill, deeming the targeted radionuclide therapy to have "no high-quality evidence showing additional benefits over standard existing treatment protocols".

FedHealth spokesperson Jeremy Yatt explained: "Medical schemes are not-for-profit organisations and we cannot fund procedures where the clinical outcomes are untested. We cannot fund treatment based on emotional factors."

But rather than let this defeat him, Walter decided to do what he does best - leverage the Web and social media. In just three days, his crowdfunding efforts amassed over R50 000 in donations and his online petitions garnered substantial support.

And it wasn't long before FedHealth had changed its tune. It has subsequently produced funding for his medical care, making Walter one of the first in the world to receive this treatment.

I'm sure we all can agree that Walter is not the first person to struggle with sky-high medical costs. But his story is one of hope and perhaps it can act as encouragement for others. For me, it illustrates a positive way that the Internet and digital technologies connect us with each other, particularly those in need.

Back in 2012, when discussing the changing face of his industry, Walter Pike encouraged people to think outside of the box when it came to advertising and social media. Which is exactly what the man himself has done.

"Think like a farmer or an artist, not like a factory manager," he advised. "A factory manager knows with certainty what is happening in its process - if he keeps its process under control, the result will be as planned. Advertising used to work this way. A farmer, however, knows what he would like the output to be, but there are many variables that cannot be controlled. He learns how to read the conditions and adapt, nurture and facilitate."

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