Prior to joining a medical aids South Africa scheme, it is worth knowing more about it and how it operates. Medical aids South Africa is a scheme that helps to pay for the costs associated with a number of private medical treatments. Those medical treatments can range from anything such as visiting a local GP to staying in hospital for an operation. The amount of cover you can get will depend on which healthcare plan you are a member of. There are some healthcare plans that will simply cover the costs of staying in hospital, whereas there are more comprehensive healthcare plans that will allow you to claim against the costs of everyday medical expenses.
Most medical aid schemes are a contract that last for 12 months, and near the end of that time, you can either renew your existing plan, or you can change plans, or even change to a different medical aid provider altogether. The cost of the medical aid plan will normally be payable over the 12 months in instalments, also known as the premium. The amount you will be expected to pay will depend on how much coverage your plan gives you.
Relying on public health facilities when you are ill or injured can be a problem, as you will have to contend with long waiting times and slow treatment times, as well as poor levels of treatment. For those people that can afford it, private medical aid schemes are there to help with the costs of private medical treatment in South Africa.
The least expensive option is typically a hospital plan. The hospital plan is there to help cushion the financial blow of the medical expenses that you can accrue by having treatment in a private hospital. These plans can be ideal for those people that are of good health generally, but who want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their hospital expenses are covered in an emergency. These plans will not cover everyday medical expenses, which is something that you are going to have to pay out of your own pocket. However, if you have the means to pay for it, there are more comprehensive healthcare plans available that will cover the costs of a range of day-to-day medical expenses, such as visiting a dentist or optometrist, as well as a local GP.
