Often when people think about their medical aid they are often thinking about treatment that they might need in future when they fall ill or sustain an injury, but often medical aid programs also offer preventative benefits to help members to keep healthy. Pharos medical aid provides a wide range of preventative benefits which are designed to help keep members healthy and prevent any serious illness. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits on offer.
Access To Vaccines And Immunisations
One of the main preventative benefits offered by Pharos medical aid is immunisations. Children up to the age of 6 years old who are registered on the ‘our-baby’ program are eligible for all baby and childhood immunisations as per the schedule set out by the Department of Health. In addition to this, any member who is over the age of 60 year old or who is at a higher level of risk because of a chronic condition is eligible for flu and pneumococcal vaccines on an annual basis.
Well Woman Preventative Care
The preventative benefits offered by Pharos medical aid also include some preventative measures that every woman needs to take into consideration. The first of these is cervical cancer screening which is available to all female members of child-bearing age every 3 years, or every 2 years for those at a higher risk. Pap smears are carried out by either a GP or a registered nurse and includes consultation and pathology. All women over the age of 35 years, and those at a particular level of risk, are also eligible for mammograms or breast ultrasounds. Basic screening is offered to those aged 35-39 years and those aged 40-49 years are eligible for screening every 2 years. Those over 50 years and those at risk because of a strong family history of breast cancer can take advantage of yearly screening.
Early Identification Of Serious Conditions
One of the best ways to ensure that you stay healthy is to catch serious conditions as early as possible. Some of the preventative benefits offered by the Pharos medical aid program include:
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Colon Cancer Screening
- Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Cholesterol Testing
- Blood Glucose Testing
- HIV Antibody Testing
- Annual Health Risk Assessment
Maternity & Baby Program
Pharos medical aid also offer the ‘our-baby’ program which offers a range of pregnancy and baby related benefits to members. The our-baby program offers cover for services including antenatal visits, urine tests and ultrasound scans. Members can also take advantage of baby massage classes, nanny training and other benefits.
These are just a fraction of the preventative benefits that are offered to Pharos medical aid members. It is important to take a proactive approach to your health and benefits like these can help you to achieve this. We have used Pharos medical aid as a case study, but many medical aid programs also offer preventative benefits so be sure to use our comparison tool to find the right program to meet your needs.
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