If you are not currently a member of a medical aid scheme, then you are leaving yourself open to the risk of prolonged illness or injury due to the lack of quality medical care. You may only have started to give consideration to signing up to a medical aid scheme, however, you need to be sure that the medical aid company that you sign up to, is giving you the best value for money.
Some medical aid companies only offer one policy, whereas others could have a large number of medical aid schemes to choose from. To the uninitiated, having to decide on which medical aid scheme is going to give you the level of cover that you require whilst at the same time giving value for money, can be difficult.
With the Hosmed medical aid scheme you get a straightforward choice from three different medical aid policies. Hosmed was founded in 1988, and it began life as a closed medical aid scheme targeted at public sector workers. However, it has recently expanded in to the private sector, and its medical aid policies are now open to everyone. Hosmed offers three unique medical aid policies, and these are: Hosmed Step, Hosmed Value and Hosmed Plus.
The Step scheme is the basic medical aid policy and there are some restrictions to the amount of treatment that you can receive on this policy, however, it still provides good value for money, as does the Hosmed Value policy. For those people who are expecting to need a lot of medical care or who have a chronic illness that needs constant medical attention, then the Hosmed Plus scheme is ideal. However, this policy is the one that costs the most in the premiums you can expect to pay each and every month.
In the past, a lot of people in South Africa had little or no medical aid cover, and they either went without suitable medical care, or else they had to rely on the state funded treatments. However, thanks to companies such as Hosmed, there is now a good value alternative, one that provides a suitable level of medical treatment without costing too much money. Hosmed’s three medical aid policies should contain enough cover that will satisfy most people’s needs whilst at the same time not taking up all of their disposable income.
Your health, and the health of your loved ones is important, that is why you should sign up for a medical aid policy that will be there for you when the worst happens. After all, there is nothing worse than having to worry about large medical bills when you are trying to recuperate from an illness or injury.
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If you are expecting a child then it is only natural that you will start thinking about your baby’s health right from the moment of conception. It is also natural to be concerned about healthcare before, during and after the birth of your baby. These are the kind of healthcare needs you need to consider before signing up to a scheme like Hosmed medical aid or similar. If you know that at some time in the not to distant future you will be looking to start a family then you would be wise to ensure that your medical aid provider actually covers pregnancy and newborn health care.
Before The Birth
Prior to actually giving birth, you will need appropriate prenatal care including obstetrician visits, ultrasound scans and perhaps even prenatal vitamins. You will need to check with your medical aid provider to ensure that you are covered for these treatments as not all schemes will. If we take Hosmed medical aid as an example, members are limited to two ultrasound scans per pregnancy although they will cover all treatments and consultations up to the agreed cover limit. This applies to all three levels of cover offered by Hosmed medical aid, but other schemes may only offer cover on certain plans or may require an additional premium to be paid.
During The Birth
If your medical aid provider covers prenatal care then it is usually the case that they will also cover your hospital expenses and doctor’s fees during the birth itself. It is usually for even caesarean sections to be covered as long as they are not elective. It is important to be aware that you may need to choose a hospital from an approved list provided by your medical aid scheme and if your gynaecologist’s rates are above the usual tariff rates you will be liable to pay the excess.
After The Birth
You will need to register your new baby as an additional member/ dependent on your medical aid program. However, this is a hectic time for your family and the majority of medical aid schemes will cover newborns for up to 30 days following birth. Cover should include any necessary ICU treatments if the child is in difficulty. However, a prolonged hospital stay for the mother may not be covered.
It is fairly easy to add your new baby to your medical aid scheme providing that your name is on their birth certificate. The majority of schemes will offer a family plan for your convenience. In fact, with Hosmed medical aid you only have to pay for your first 3 children, so larger families can enjoy free cover for any additional children that they might have.
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