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When it comes to getting quality medical cover in South Africa there are countless options. With so many options available, it is not always easy to know who the best provider is for yourself and your family. You can ask other family members, co-workers, or friends for their advice as that can help you in some respects. Even with that help you do need to do some research into the difference plans that are available to ensure that you get exactly what you and your family needs should there ever be a medical issue that needs to be taken care of by a doctor.
If you want to consider someone that provides some of the best plans available, consider Bonitas medical aid scheme. Bonitas is a medical aid provider that has been helping South Africans with their medical cover since they first began back in 1982. With respect to size of beneficiaries alone, Bonitas ranks second largest amongst all of the providers available. When you look into getting a medical aid plan and want to get it from a provider that is reliable and knows what their beneficiaries need, Bonitas is someone to consider.
Like all medical aid plans, it is important that you pay attention to what the different level plans offer. There are plans that offer you more benefits and cover more procedures. Other schemes are more simplistic in their coverage and typically cost less. If when trying to make your decision about Bonitas medical aid scheme, think about what essential coverage you and your family members must have, you do not want to pick a scheme that will end up giving you less coverage than you need.
If you have a pre-existing chronic illness that requires specific medications or treatments, you want to ensure, when you are looking at medical aid schemes, that you get one that includes those items. One of the most frustrating things that you can experience is going through the process of getting a medical aid plan only to find out you are lacking essential coverage.
The different plans offered by Bonitas provide different services. If you have one level of cover, such as the BonComprehensive plan, you may need to pay out of pocket expenses from procedures it does not cover. No matter what plan you are looking into, make sure the Bonitas medical aide scheme selected is one that will provide you and your family with everything you need by way of medical coverage.
The Netcare Medical Aid program has been around since 1999, and it was founded with the promise to provide first class medical aid cover to Netcare employees and their loved ones. The Netcare Medical Aid scheme is not open to the general public, and it only caters for those people who are currently employed within the Netcare organisation. Signing up to this scheme allows the employees of Netcare to have access to some of the best medical facilities and medical staff in their area, safe in the knowledge that their medical aid bills are covered.
It is one of life’s certainties that you are going to fall ill or become the victim of an accident that will require you to receive medical attention, and usually this will happen without any prior warning whatsoever. It is for those reasons that you need to join a medical aid scheme that will give you access to top notch medical facilities and care, whilst allowing you to forget about receiving hefty medical bills at the end. After all, you will want to put all your energy and concentration into recovering from your illness or injury, not into worrying about how you are going to pay your medical bills at the completion of your treatment.
There are a number of other medical aid schemes out there that you can join, as there are plenty of companies that offer schemes that are open to anyone. In addition to which, there are schemes that are backed by the South African government, although one should be warned that using the state run schemes could leave you without the necessary treatment you require. On top of which, the waiting times for treatment and operations can be lengthy and this is not something that most people want when they are trying to return to full fitness.
As an employee of Netcare, it makes sense to join the Netcare Medical Aid scheme in order to cover your expenses if you or someone in your family falls ill. With the Netcare medical aid scheme, you will be covered against the costs of such things as, transport to hospital via road ambulance or helicopter, hospital admissions, treatment by specialists and doctors and prescription medications. You can also get help with such things as aftercare programs including physiotherapy. You will also find that you can claim for trips to the dentist and opticians as these can also be quite costly procedures to undergo.
Now you can see the advantages of signing up to the Netcare Medical Aid scheme, in order to protect you and your loved ones from the costs of medical treatment should someone fall ill or suffer an injury.
For those people who do not have medical coverage, the thought of falling ill or needing medical treatment for an injury can be worrying. If you do not have the correct amount of medical coverage, then you could be faced with some fairly hefty medical bills once you have finished your treatment. Medical care can prove to be quite expensive, especially so if you have a long term illness or other medical problem, which requires long term treatment from various medical professionals. No one wants the added stress and concern that comes with worrying about how they are going to pay their medical bills. Instead they just want to concentrate on putting all their effort and energy into their recovery so they can get back to work as soon as possible.
That is why there are now a number of medical aid schemes available to help those people on low incomes to receive the highest standard of medical care they can. There are a number of medical aid companies who provide a number of different medical aid schemes, which are open to everyone. However, there has been a recent rise in the number of closed medical schemes whose sole purpose is to provide medical aid schemes exclusively for their employees.
The South African government is no exception to this, and they have been running their own medical aid scheme for public service workers for the past eight years. Known as the Government Employee Medical Scheme (GEMS), it was founded in 2005 as a way of providing top quality healthcare at a reasonable price for all public service workers.
The GEMS medical aid scheme offers employees of the government, five stand alone medical aid packages that should suit the needs and financial limits of all government employees. Named after famous gemstones, the five medical aid packages are called: Sapphire, Onyx, Beryl, Ruby and Emerald.
Prior to this scheme being introduced by the South African government, it was said that a large number of the South African government workforce could not afford adequate medical care for themselves and their families. This spurred on the government to provide this closed medical aid scheme for its employees so that they could all afford some kind of medical aid no matter what pay grade they were on.
Impressed by the scheme and its flexibility, a number of other large employers in South Africa began to form their own closed medical aid scheme for the exclusive use of their employees. Now there is more choice than ever before for people who are looking for a medical aid scheme that they can afford, that also provides a good range of healthcare options, such as access to a GP, a dentist and an optician.
Modern day life can be hectic, and it is times like these, when you need to be at your strongest, that illness and injury occur. When an unexpected event like this happens, it can have a devastating effect on your quality of life, affecting work and family commitments. The last thing you want on top of the stress and worry regarding your health is to have the additional worry over large medical bills.
It is at times such as these, when an unexpected illness or injury as a result of an accident strikes, that you need to make sure that you have the correct level of medical cover. Having the correct level of medical cover means that you do not have to worry about large bills for the treatment that you receive, and this will allow you to concentrate on trying to get back to full fitness.
Medical aid providers such as Transmed Medical Aid, provide their clients with a comprehensive range of medical aid schemes that are ideal for hard working people and those who are enjoying their retirement. A lot of people get confused when they first look into acquiring medical aid, and they can end up signing up for a medical aid scheme that is totally unsuitable for their needs. A family man is not going to get much use out of signing up for a medical aid scheme that is targeted at young single people. That is why, the people at Transmed Medical Aid, have a simple range of medical aid schemes that are easy to understand, whilst at the same time, offering a level of cover that is suitable for most people.
Most working people as well as those who have saved money for their retirement may find that the state run medical aid schemes, do not offer the comprehensive level of medical coverage that they may require. Whilst the state run medical aid schemes offer a level of basic care, they are severely limited in the amount of cover that they offer, and more often than not, those people who need something such as specialist dental treatment, are often left with no option but to pay for it themselves. That is why, signing up to a medical aid scheme, such as the one offered by Transmed Medical Aid, is the best way to obtain the medical treatment you need, whenever you need it.
Medical assistance is something that most of us are going to require at some point in our lives, and you can soften the impact of a bout of illness or injury, by making sure that you are signed up to a medical aid scheme that is going to provide you with the cover you need.
When you think of gems, you think of something of quality that is worth something of value. That is an extremely fitting way of thinking when it comes to GEMS medical aid. GEMS medical was created with the needs of public service employees and their dependants in mind. Taking care of the health and well-being in government employees and their families became a priority. As before the creation of GEMS, there were many things that these employees and their families were lacking with regards to medical health benefits.
What problems did these employees face prior to GEMS?
Prior to the creation of this medical aid many public service and government employees were faced with, most importantly, the inability to afford any type of medical aid covers for themselves and their families. Obtaining medical aid was difficult because the costs of most medical aid schemes were getting increasingly more expensive. There was also the fact that those with medical aid schemes were not getting their monies worth. Another key point is that most medical schemes did not take into consideration the unique health benefits that some individuals need. With the creation of GEMS medical aid, things changed for government employees and their families by way of finally having access to quality affordable medical cover.
GEMS medical aid consists of five different medical aid schemes for government employees. These different benefit plans are sapphire, beryl, ruby, emerald, and onyx. Each of these different plans provides a variety of different services and benefits to the plan holders and their families. The different benefits offered by these programs include a variety of different programmes and management services. Some of these different programmes include chronic medicine and maternity, while simultaneously offering out-of-hospital benefits and assistance with both acute medicine and chronic medicine formulary. There is also dental, hospital, oncology, optometry, and hospital management in place for the benefit of GEMS plan members.
With a GEMS medical aid plan, government employees and their eligible family members can enjoy a host of benefits. One of the leading benefits to opting to go with GEMS is the affordable rates at which cover is provided. When it is necessary to make a claims payment, they are made promptly every fortnight. Various programs are in place that helps with different illnesses and diseases; this includes a disease management program and an HIV/Aids management program. Both of these programs are in place to help with a variety of factors, which include costs of on-going treatment, and management of treatment.
For government employees’ having affordable and comprehensive medical cover is now much easier thanks to the creation of the GEMS medical aid. Members can have all of the medical benefits their health requires while not paying excessive fees to get it.
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.
This entry was posted in Medical Aid and tagged Cover version, Health, Health care, Health insurance, Hosmed, Hospital, Medicine, Scheme on by Jackson.713class="post-713 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-medical-aid tag-cover-version tag-health tag-health-care tag-health-insurance tag-hospital tag-netcare tag-parkinsons-disease tag-scheme"
When it comes to getting the best possible coverage at an affordable price from schemes such as Netcare medical aid there are a few important things that you need to keep in mind. The choice can be overwhelming if you do not know what exactly to look for, so we have put together this list of the key points to consider when choosing medical aid.
Look At The Level Of Coverage
Every medical aid program offers slightly different levels of coverage. You may find that one scheme covers pregnancy while another doesn’t. Even between plans in the same scheme there can be large differences in cover. It is important to think about what sort of cover is important to you so that you can make sure it is included in your plan.
Look Into Payment Policies
When it comes to paying for your medical treatment procedures differ between schemes. For example, what Netcare medical aid does may not be what Liberty does. Some schemes will pay providers directly meaning that you only have to pay your agreed deductible or co-pay amount. However, with other schemes you may be expected to pay your own medical bills and then submit a claim to be reimbursed. Depending on your medical aid provider it could take as long as 30 days to receive your refund.
How Much Will It Cost
Perhaps the most important consideration when choosing your medical aid provider is the cost of cover. It is a good idea to work out how much your budget for health care is so that you can immediately eliminate those which are too expensive. It is never wise to sign up for medical aid you cannot afford as your cover will lapse if you are not up to date on payments. Always keep in mind that more expensive is not always better, it could be that you would be paying for services you will never use so make sure you are looking at which plan offers the best value for money.
Have You Considered Your Health
When choosing medical aid you need to take your own health and the health of any family members attached to the plan into consideration. If you have an existing condition then you need to make sure that your medical aid will cover your treatment. Some of the chronic illnesses covered by Netcare medical aid include: Asthma, Bipolar, COPD, Crohn’s Disease, Diabetes, Haemophilia, Parkinson’s Disease and Schizophrenia among others. However, this list will be different with other providers so take care to ensure your condition is on the list.
Does The Scheme Cover Hospital Care?
Not every medical scheme covers hospital care as standard. Often it is added as an additional premium for those requesting it. If you can afford to do so you should definitely opt for a plan which offers hospital care as you will never know when you might require treatment in a hospital or ER. As an example, the Netcare medical aid scheme does include hospital care provided you are admitted to an approved treatment facility within the Netcare group. Hospitalisation must also be pre-authorised under the rules of the Netcare medical aid scheme.
These are the top 5 things to take into consideration when choosing the right medical aid cover for you and your family, but you may have additional needs in which case you must thoroughly examine the terms and conditions of the program before making a commitment.
For the majority of people, medical aid is merely an additional element of our lives; however, in reality it was first launched in 1950’s America, and only made its way to the republic of South Africa in the ‘80’s. The original medical aid schemes in the republic of South Africa began life as a hospital cash-back scheme and these schemes are still to be found in lots of countries throughout the globe.
When medical aid schemes were first launched in South Africa in the eighties, it was the only product of its kind available, yet by the end of the decade, in excess of 50,000 policies had been snapped up, sold by medical aid companies such as, Momentum Health.
When the first medical aid packages came available in South Africa, they were limited to groups and were popular with companies who wanted to give their employees some medical cover. Yet in the early years of the 1990’s, individual medical aid schemes became available, and it was not long before there were many different medical aid providers offering medical aid packages.
Amazingly the critical illness cover that nearly all of the main medical aid providers proffer across the globe was originally initiated in the republic of South Africa during the middle of the 1980’s. Not long after critical illness cover became available there was also the option for disability cover as well, and that is when medical aid cover began to look like it does today.
By the mid-nineties, there were a large amount of South African residents who were subscribing to medical aid schemes that included critical illness cover and disability options. This upward trend in South African citizens opting for medical aid, that includes disability and critical illness, continued to rise during the 1990’s, and by the end of the decade, the medical aid market in South Africa was well and truly at the forefront of private medical care.
Since the start of the new millennium most of the medical aid providers such as Momentum Health, have added more and more different ailments and long-term illnesses to the list of things that can now be covered. Illnesses such as AIDS and HIV can now be found on the list of ailments and diseases that can be covered by medical aid policies. For the reason that South Africa has a high rate of people with HIV and AIDS, the inclusion of these illnesses on medical aid policies was seen as a watershed moment in private medical care.
Medical aid schemes such as those being offered by Momentum Health are constantly changing to suit the needs and lifestyles of certain demographics of South African society. This means that all of the companies that are currently offering medical aid schemes have a lot of different policies available for the average consumer to choose from. This can make choosing the right medical aid package a bit of a difficult task for those who are not entirely sure what cover they need.
When it comes to getting quality medical cover in South Africa there are countless options. With so many options available, it is not always easy to know who the best provider is for yourself and your family. You can ask other family members, co-workers, or friends for their advice as that can help you in some respects. Even with that help you do need to do some research into the difference plans that are available to ensure that you get exactly what you and your family needs should there ever be a medical issue that needs to be taken care of by a doctor.
