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The cost of decent health care in South Africa can put off a lot of people when they need medical assistance. This is partly due to the amount of money they are expected to pay in monthly premiums for their medical aid policy. Instead of paying out money each month, they would rather take their chances, and hope that they do not become ill or need treatment because of an accident. This cavalier attitude to personal health means that if the worst case scenario happens, that they are going to have to rely on the state funded health assistance that the South African government provide.
Thankfully, medical aid providers, such as BestMed, are now in a position to offer a range of affordable medical aid packages that are within the financial means of those people who are on low incomes. Companies like BestMed have seen the potential in the market for affordable medical aid cover, for those people who would not normally be able to afford it.
Relying on the state subsidised medical facilities is not always the best option, however, for a lot of people it is the only option, because they do not have any kind of medical aid coverage whatsoever.
South Africa is one of the leading countries, when it comes to the ability of its people to acquire private health care, and this is solely due to the medical aid scheme. Medical aid is better than a standard health insurance policy, because everyone who is on the same scheme pays the same premium as each other. That means that is a fairer system than private health insurance as it does not discriminate against those people with low incomes, or take advantage of people who earn a lot of money.
Another thing that sets medical aid apart from private health insurance is the fact that most people find that private health insurance policies can discriminate against people with pre-existing health problems. On top of which some people with serious health problems will not be able to join a private health insurance policy at all.
Basic medical aid schemes that are typically the cheapest to join can still offer a good level of coverage and things such as travel to hospital via ambulance and prescription medication costs can all be covered. All of these things can soon add up and on top of that you will be expected to pay towards any time you spend in hospital, so if you are in for a few nights then you could find yourself facing a hefty bill.
There is nothing worse than falling ill or being the victim of an unfortunate accident, only to discover that you are going to be receiving a large bill for all of your medical treatment once you leave the hospital. That is why it makes sense to join a medical aid scheme, so that the costs of decent and good quality health care, do not give you cause to stress and worry when you should be concentrating on recovering.
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Owning a top notch medical aid policy is quickly becoming a necessity in these modern times and trying to locate a medical aid policy that both meets the needs of you and your kith and kin, as well as your budget can be a complicated task. Most people would love to have enough medical cover that covers all of the ailments and medical problems that life can throw at them; however, this is not always the case when you are restricted by a tight budget. There is a plethora of medical aid policies out there at the moment and it can be a very complicated task to match the level of cover with the amount of money at your disposal. For that reason you need to look carefully at the details of each policy and take each policy on its own merits.
South Africa has seen a dramatic rise in the costs of its health care and for that reason, obtaining a cheap medical aid
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policy is the solitary option that most people can afford. It is for the reason that health care costs have risen so much in such a short space of time that many people are turning to cheap medical aid policies to help with the cost of health care for them and there kith and kin. However, before signing up for a medical aid policy, it is important that you make doubly sure that the cover offered meets the requirements of you and your family.
Some people are lucky enough to have a subsidised or even free medical aid policy that is provided by the company that they work for. For example, if you work in the medical profession or for a medical insurance provider, then you can expect to be fully covered. For those who do not work in the health care industry, they may find that the company they work for still offers a policy that can the employee can join. Some of the work based medical aid policies can be dependent on the industry the company works in and may not have the level of cover that you require for you and your family.
When it comes to searching for a personal health care policy you need to consider the crucial factors such as the type of cover that the scheme provides for your money. Another aspect that you may need to look into is the option to either downgrade or upgrade your policy in case there is a major change in your financial position. Most policies allow for an upgrade no more than a couple of times in a calendar year; however, some policies are less flexible when it comes to allowing you to downgrade your policy and if you think that your income may drop in the future it is best if you seek out a policy that will allow you to downgrade without incurring a penalty.
With a bit of time and effort you can find the right medical aid policy that covers you and your family.
When the time comes for you and your loved ones to need medical assistance, the last thing you should be worrying about is money. Illness can strike at any time and it can be a very stressful and worrying time for all concerned, no one likes seeing somebody they love suffering from a medical condition. It is at times like these that you do not need the added worries that come with hefty medical bills. You need to concentrate all of your efforts into getting well again, or supporting your loved one through the recovery process, not concentrating on the financial cost of the treatment.
That is why it is an especially smart idea to sign up with a medical aid provider, who for a reasonable financial outlay each month, will provide you and your loved ones with the medical care that they need, when they need it, which can be needed at unexpected times.
When the time comes to search for a medical aid provider, you may find that there are many more choices than you bargained for. Not only are you going to find that there are several medical insurance providers all vying for your business, but also that each company will have many different schemes, all offering different levels of cover for varying amounts of money. It can seem a little overwhelming, not to mention confusing, having to sort through endless pages of information, in order to find the best cover that suits your requirements.
You will probably be looking for the best medical coverage that you can get for your money and for that reason; one of the best medical aid providers that you can sign up to is Bestmed.
Bestmed has been providing medical aid in South Africa for almost 50 years and the type of medical cover that they offer comes with very competitive rates. When other medical aid companies were increasing the costs of their premiums by significant amounts, Bestmed limited their increase to just fewer than 9% which is the lowest increase of all the major medical aid companies in South Africa.
They currently provide medical insurance for over 150,000 South African residents and their families. They provide three main areas of coverage that are called, Beat, Pulse and Pace and which one you choose will depend on your circumstances.
Beat, is ideal for those of you who are primarily single and of good health, but who want hospital cover in case the worst happens.
Pulse, is more suited to those people who are looking to have their hospital care taken care of, as well as more general benefits, such as, access to doctors and other medical experts.
Pace, is the level of cover that is more suited to families and their daily needs such as doctors as well as hospital visits.
Where some medical aid companies offer a plethora of different schemes, Bestmed has decided to keep things simple with these three medical aid options that should suit everyone’s requirements.
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.
This entry was posted in Medical Aid and tagged Health insurance, Insurance, South Africa on by author.281class="post-281 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-medical-aid tag-health tag-health-insurance tag-insurance tag-medical-aid-2 tag-medicine tag-south-africa"
It is becoming increasingly common for people to opt out of any type of medical insurance because they are unable to afford the premiums. However, if you should find yourself in a situation where you or a family member is in urgent need of emergency medical care you may find yourself shocked at the cost of treatment. When you consider how much emergency surgery costs, a small monthly premium for medical aid seems insignificant in comparison. Here at medical, we aim to help people find cheap medical aid by comparing schemes offered by South Africa’s leading providers.
Unexpected illness or injury is often something we push out of our minds, assuming that ‘it will never happen to me’, but it can happen. When you are stricken with a terminal disease or involved in an accident which leaves you requiring urgent medical care and possibly even surgery, the financial costs can be astonishing. If you have no medical aid in place you may find yourself in financial ruins as you will be responsible for every medical bill incurred. However, when you have medical aid you get that peace of mind which comes from knowing that at least some, if not all, of those expenses will be covered. So why not change that phrase circling in your mind away from ‘it will never happen to me’ to ‘It’s better to be safe than be sorry’!
When you consider medical aid in this context then it actually does not seem so bad to have to pay that monthly premium. The question is really not ‘should I sign up for medical aid?’, but instead ‘which medical aid program should I sign up for?’ That is where we can be of help. Instead of having to contact a long list of providers and going through the same process to get your quote, we can take a few pieces of information from you and go ahead and do the leg work for you. We will compare cheap medical aidoffers from all of South Africa’s leading schemes and return the results to you allowing you to make a choice that suits both your budget and your personal requirements.
These are the things you need to get started:
Write out a list of what you need from your medical aid provider. This should include family medical history which can give you an idea of possible future issues in your health.
Figure out a monthly budget that you can afford, but don’t be too tight. It is not always a case of cheapest is best. You need to find the balance between affordability and quality. If you do not keep up the monthly payments your cover lapses, but if you go to cheap the cover might be limited.
Be aware that you, or any family member, who has a long term or chronic disease, which might include ongoing treatment and/or expensive medications, may be liable for an additional premium.
With this information in mind and our online quote finder, you should be able to find the medical aid that is right for you. Be sure to take time to consider the results and do not simply opt for the lowest of the quotes. In some cases it is worth paying a little extra to ensure that you have a sufficient level of cover.
There is no way to protect ourselves completely from getting sick at some point in our lives. Colds and illnesses are things that are bound to happen at some point in our lives because of the people that we come in contact with at work or in school. There are other occasions where accidents happen and a bone may be broken or some other illness forces us to go to the hospital. Not only can these times be physically exhausting, but also they can be tremendous stresses on our lives if we have no medical coverage to help pay for the expenses. It is because of this reason that everyone should search out some form of medical aid scheme.
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Having a medical aid scheme will not prevent a person from getting sick, but if they do get sick, they do not have to focus on how much it will cost. They can focus solely on doing what they need to do in order to recover and get back to their normal daily life. Without some form of medical aid scheme in place, not only does a person have to worry about getting well, but they also have to worry about how they are going to pay for all of their medical expenses. Taking the time to look into the various medical aid schemes that are available will offer individuals and their families’ peace of mind in the unfortunate event that someone is hurt or injured.
If you are in need of some form of medical aid scheme, and do not have time to do all the research required to find a scheme that will work for you and your family then www.medical-aid.co.za can help. By simply submitting some basic information, you will be given a quote on different medical aid schemes available for you. Give yourself and your family the peace of mind that is so necessary when it comes to protecting your health. Do not be left wondering about how you will not only recover from an illness, but also how you will afford to deal with it. Get your quote today.
This entry was posted in Medical Aid and tagged Health care, Health insurance, Illness, Insurance on by author.229class="post-229 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-medical-aid tag-bahrain tag-finance tag-health tag-health-insurance tag-insurance tag-protest tag-south-africa tag-united-states"
Health Insurance Forum (Photo credit: Aaron Landry)
Everything in our lives needs to be protected, from our homes to our vehicles and most importantly to our health. Although having no or very basic coverage may result in the loss of your home or vehicle, as devastating as that may be, they can be replaced. For those individuals that do not have some form of health coverage, or those who have the wrong medical aid scheme, there could be serious health ramifications. With the wrong or no medical aid scheme, if individuals have to be hospitalized for any reason, there is a good chance that the individual and their family could suffer serious financial instability.
For individuals living in South Africa that do not have a medical aid scheme, there are many options available. Regardless of your financial situation, or the type of coverage that you and your family require there are options available. There are medical aid schemes that are designed specifically for different groups. Medical scheme providers have created coverage that is specifically for individuals that are young and single, to individuals that are just starting their families.
No matter what your age or your financial situation, there are medical aid schemes that will offer you the benefits that you need and require. One thing that has to be considered before you commit to a medical aid scheme is if the plan you are choosing covers any preexisting conditions and if you will need additional benefits to ensure that your health is covered.
If you are searching for a good medical aid scheme, be aware that there are a number of companies in South Africa, which are offering a variety of plans. Talk to friends and family members to get their input on the experiences they have had with their insurance company. Make sure that when you do decide on a medical aid scheme that you talk to the company providers directly to insure that you are aware of all of the benefits and coverage that the scheme you want offers. With a bit of research and thought, you can find an affordable and quality medical aid scheme for you and your family.
