Hospital (Photo credit: Ralf Heß)
If you are looking for medical aid then you may already have figured out that South Africa has a huge number of potential providers. It can seem like a daunting task to choose the appropriate one to meet your own needs. Here at medical-aid.co.za we will search for the best value medical aid schemes for you based on the information you provide, thus saving you untold amounts of time and effort chasing down quotes from various providers. However, once we have returned the medical aid quotes you will still have to choose which provider to sign up with. So how do you choose a medical aid provider?
Legislation Under Medical Schemes Act
It is important to understand the ins and outs of whatever program you sign up for. One of the important things to be aware of is that all medical cover in South Africa is regulated by the Medical Schemes Act. This means that if you choose a scheme registered under this piece of legislation you will have additional consumer protection in the event of issues such as non-payment of claims. That is why we work only with appropriately registered schemes when providing medical aid quotes.
Allowable Waiting Periods
With any medical aid scheme registered under the Medical Schemes Act, the maximum waiting period that can be imposed on a new member to the scheme is generally 3 months, although for some specific conditions this may be extended to a period of one year. These penalties should only be applied when the member already suffers from the condition when signing up for the scheme. Waiting periods are intended to help medical aid providers to manage their risk pool.
Late Joining Penalties
When someone over the age of 35 years signs up for medical aid they may incur a late joiner fee. This usually only applies if you have never been part of a medical scheme before.
Minimum Scheme Benefits
There are almost 300 medical conditions including 25 chronic illnesses which require medical aid schemes to provide cover at cost price. This applies only to those registered under the Medical Schemes Act in South Africa which is another good reason for opting for one of these providers.
Why Choose International Health Insurance Plans?
Given this information it is easy to wonder why some individuals opt for an international health insurance policy rather than a medical aid scheme that is registered here in South Africa. There are a number of reasons including the fact that some people may need worldwide cover if they travel extensively. Others choose this option for reasons of simplicity because health insurance can often be less complex than the average South African medical aid scheme. Lastly, if there is a language barrier it is often the case that the international insurance brokers offer support staff in call centres who speak alternative languages rather than English.
Unless you feel that you need international cover, it is far better to opt for a South African medical scheme, and here at medical-aid.co.za, we can help you to find one to suit your needs.
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