The Government Employee Medical Aid scheme has a number of top quality healthcare providers, which are there to provide the best medical treatments in your area. Dentists, doctors, optometrists and access to prescription medicines are some of the things you can expect when you join a healthcare plan from GEMS Medical Aid.
The GEMS Medical Aid scheme is only open to government employees, and therefore, the premiums are low due to the fact that the South African government subsidises the scheme. There are 5 different healthcare plans that form the Government Employee Medical Scheme, and they are Sapphire, Beryl, Onyx, Emerald and Ruby.
The Sapphire option is the entry-level healthcare plan, and this option is ideal for those government employees that are on low incomes. It offers a basic level of protection against some of the most expensive forms of medical treatment, such as those that you could expect to receive in hospital for example.
Any healthcare providers that are part of the GEMS network should be displaying a GEMS sticker in their window or somewhere on their premises. When you see the sign, you will know that your doctor, dentist or optometrist is a part of the GEMS network, so you do not have to pay for the treatment you receive.
Some of the treatment that you can expect to receive when you become a member of a medical aid scheme includes cover against the costs and expenses associated with hospital treatments, as well as emergency transportation to hospital. These can be some of the most expensive treatments around, and if you need the services of a specialist or surgeon then the costs can quickly spiral out of control.
If you have more money to spend on your monthly premiums then you might want to make sure that you have more coverage against everyday medical expenses. Regular visits to a doctor, dentist or optometrist can quickly add up to a tidy sum of money, and it is nice to that your expenses are going to be covered.
Hopefully, this article has been helpful in giving you some idea of why the benefits of belonging to a medical aid scheme over taking chances and relying on the public healthcare facilities, or another medical aid scheme. Not only will you be saving money, you will also be getting access to some of the best medical experts in your area.
