Getting medical aid quotes in South Africa is not too hard – most schemes today offer an easy way to access their quoting system. When you do not know what you are being quoted for, however, the process can get a little tricky. The glossary of terms one must understand before joining a scheme is understandably difficult to follow, but we at Medshield strive to make this journey easy for our valued members and prospective members looking to join our scheme.
Prescribed Minimum Benefits
Every medical aid is required, by law, to provide coverage for certain health conditions. These are called Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs), and they include a list of approximately 25 chronic diseases and 270 conditions.
Medical Aid Savings
Before seeking quotes for any scheme in South Africa, figure out whether or not you wish to have an additional savings account. Medical aid savings are accumulated through a percentage of your annual contributions. This is held in a separate account and members use it to pay for additional day-to-day expenses.
Specified Tariffs
In South Africa, you will hear language about specified tariffs and the percentage that your medical aid covers. This might confuse members who assume that 100% coverage means complete coverage. A tariff is what your scheme is willing to cover you for based upon the national Reference Price List, bearing in mind that some specialists and hospitals charge rates much higher than this list.
Premiums
When receiving scheme quotes in South Africa, remember that your premiums are your monthly contributions each month. These are usually fixed, pre-determined amounts.
Principal Member and Dependants
The principal member is the main member responsible for the payment of the monthly contributions. They can also register dependants under their name at additional premiums.
Day-to-Day Benefits
Day-to-day benefits are those that fall outside of in-hospital treatments. These include visits to doctors, dentists, optometrists, and sometimes medication too. If you regularly need to pay out-of-pocket for such expenses, finding a plan that offers more day-to-day benefits is a good idea.
Hospital Plan
Hospital plans are cheaper and offer comprehensive cover for in-hospital stays and treatments. Most, however, offer little to no cover for day-to-day benefits.
Network Cover and Designated Service Providers
Many schemes have a working agreement with certain medical practices and hospitals, which are considered network service providers. Making use of these network service providers means certain procedures are covered at a higher rate and less out-of-pocket or gap payments are necessary.
Waiting Periods
There are two kinds of waiting periods medical aids may impose, namely:
The purpose of these waiting periods is to protect other members in the fund because it means that new members cannot join to make massive claims and then leave soon after.
We Make Getting Quotes Easy
We understand how complicated medical aid schemes in South Africa can get, which is why we make receiving your quotes and applying for membership so easy. Our online Needs Analysis and Contribution Calculator are tools that you can use to receive informed quotes. You can also contact us today with any questions you might have.
