Making Medical Aid Work for You

A variety of private medical aid schemes are gaining members because the bid for quality healthcare is so great in South Africa as a result of the over-burdened and under-resourced state-sponsored facilities.

Match Your Needs

Your choice should match your needs, your age, stage of life, any pre-existing medical conditions, state of health, financial situation as well as income. All of these considerations apply equally to those joining a scheme for the first time and those who currently hold membership.

Affordability Options

Even though you may already belong to a private scheme, you may be finding your ever-increasing monthly contributions less affordable than before, particularly if your income is not keeping pace with the increased cost of living that prevails in latter-day South Africa. Nonetheless, you still have choices, but whatever you do, do not stop your membership in the hope that you will be fine.

Do not tempt fate by thinking “nothing can go wrong”, because medical matters, especially in emergency situations, may just prove you wrong. Rather exercise one of your options that still allow you retain vital medical aid membership.

• Downgrade for a year or so to a more affordable plan that still meets most of your requirements, while allowing you time to improve your financial situation
• Do some enquiries and research into alternative medical aid schemes and plans, which offer you similar benefits for a significantly more affordable monthly contribution
• Revise your budget to better accommodate the cost of your contributions

Choosing Medshield Medical Aid

The first step in selecting the right Medshield medical aid option for you (and your family, if applicable), is establishing your needs, measured as closely as possible to one of our seven plans. Remember, the more comprehensive the cover you choose, the greater the contribution will be. This is true of all schemes and plans, as it is with almost anything you buy.

• Premium Plus – for families and professional individuals – unlimited in-hospital cover, select in-hospital procedures covered at 200% of our private tariff, plus a personal savings account for daily healthcare expenses
• MediCore – essential unlimited in-hospital cover at a Medshield Hospital Network facility, for major medical emergencies, without day-to-day expense cover
• MediSaver – unlimited in-hospital cover (Medshield Hospital Network) with a personal savings account, plus an out-of-hospital maternity package
• MediBonus – comprehensive in- and out-of-hospital cover, plus an additional range of benefits
• MediValue – complete cover for hospital procedures or emergencies, as well as partial daily healthcare cover for fundamental healthcare needs
  • MediValue Compact – the Compact version of MediValue provides all the same benefits at a cheaper contribution price, with the caveat that a member must use Medshield’s pre-determined provider networks 
• MediPlus – popular with middle/upper income earners who choose to have in- and out-of-hospital cover, the latter, including a range of additional healthcare benefits
  • MediPlus Compact – the Compact version of MediPlus provides all the same benefits at a cheaper contribution price, with the caveat that a member must use Medshield’s pre-determined provider networks
• MediPhila – unlimited in-hospital cover for PMB conditions, plus generous per beneficiary limits for non-PMB treatments. Basic day-to-day healthcare needs – out-of-hospital and for specific treatments – are covered according to the relevant benefit limit

It is important to understand that medical aid is an insurance product, for which you pay a monthly premium, known as a contribution. Like any other insurance, you hope you will never need to claim, but if or when you do, you will have the cover that you selected. There is no price too great to pay for your and your family’s ongoing health and wellbeing, or the peace of mind in being assured that you will have aid to cover expenses when you most need it.