Medical Aid Comparison

South Africans no longer need to stress about getting medical aid quotes. Get a medical aid comparison easily and quickly over the Internet right here and now.

Just fill in the form here. Then after you send your details by hitting the submit button you will receive a no-obligation comparative quotation via email.

Alternatively, a medical fund expert will phone you. He or she will help you choose a scheme or hospital plan that best suits your needs. You will get information on gap cover as well.

Medical Aid Comparison Tips

To help you make the right choice of medical fund, you need to bear in mind that two main types of health cover exist in South Africa today:

  1. Insurance companies: They offer roughly the same kind of hospital plans as medical schemes. However, insurance companies will not go the whole hog in terms of the benefits offered. They do not need to register with the Council for Medical Schemes. This means that they do not need supervision. Neither do they have to to offer the gamut of benefits in the way medical aids do. Their aim is similar to any other business, i.e., to maximise profits. This is not the case with medical schemes.
  2. Medical Funds/Medical Aid Schemes: There are about 300 conditions which are Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs).  And among these conditions are several chronic conditions (about 27). Medical schemes are required by the Medical Schemes Act to offer cover for all the conditions Medical Aid Comparisonlisted among the PMBs. While there are several medical funds in South Africa, you can only be a member of one of them at a time.

 

Questions to Ask When Doing a Medical Aid Comparison

  • Which Hospital Plan is Better? Given the extent of cover you get with medical schemes, this really should be a no-brainer. You get cover for all the 300-odd conditions in the PMBs. This is something you are far from sure to get with insurance companies which do not have to offer these benefits. Even if the condition in question will require hospitalisation, you will not be turned away by a medical scheme. Medical schemes such as Bonitas, Selfmed and Discovery Health offer incredible hospital plans that insurance firms will find difficult to match.
  • Is It Open or Closed? You need to know that there are two kinds of medical aid schemes: open and closed, or restricted. While open schemes are open to all South Africans, closed medical aid schemes require you to be working in a certain kind of industry or in a specific company or association. The schemes offered by these are exclusive to members of that company, association or trade. Bankmed is a clear example of a closed scheme while major schemes like Bonitas are open.

More FAQ

  • Am I About to Start a Family? If you’ve just started working and are planning to start a family, it is wise to become a member of a medical scheme as early as possible. This is to avoid missing out on full pre- and post-natal care cover due to the fact that you or your expectant partner failed to factor in the 12-month waiting period before the cover becomes active. However, even those who sign up during the pregnancy will receive any treatment, for the new baby, that is covered by the scheme.
  • Do I Live At The Coast? It is true that if you reside near the South African coast you will be eligible for a special deal on your medical aid scheme rates. This is because people living on the coast have been found to be generally healthier than those living in other parts of the country. Ask for a discount from your medical scheme if you live near the coast.

All info was correct at time of publishing