It is an indisputable fact that most people in South Africa receiving private healthcare can only afford to do so because they have help from an insurer. However, the cover is not provided by conventional short-term insurance companies but by non-profit organisations specialising in providing financial support for the private healthcare expenses incurred by their members. At the last count, 76 schemes were operating locally, down from 144 in 2000, the reduced numbers being due mainly to essential mergers. By contrast, KeyHealth has been serving the public since 1968. A comparison of our medical aid options should go a long way toward explaining the company’s exceptional longevity.
A Medical Aid Comparison to Find the Best KeyHealth Option for You
Firstly, we offer more options than many schemes because we aspire to meet the needs of as many South Africans as possible. Our emphasis is on designing products that cater to the healthcare requirements of families and individuals while ensuring they are affordable to those members they best suit. Nevertheless, factors beyond our control, like the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have triggered a round of price hikes. These have affected everything, including the cost of providing private healthcare. Consequently, it is appropriate to begin our medical aid comparison with a look at Essence, our entry-level hospital plan.
Essence is designed to provide “just-in-case” cover. Its target market is those in the early stages of their careers who have other expenses to cope with while still earning a relatively modest salary. The low-cost product offers unbeatable value for money, combining an unlimited cover whilst confined to a hospital with support for the 26 chronic conditions listed among the prescribed minimum benefits (PMB). Naturally, payments for all other private healthcare services used during the membership year are the member’s responsibility.
Next in the medical aid comparison of KeyHealth products is Origin. A marginally higher monthly premium secures a product that combines an unlimited private hospital plan with selected day-to-day benefits while covering the 26 chronic illnesses. The product offers a low-cost solution for main and dependent members who require assistance with comprehensive in- and basic out-of-hospital expenses. The latter include routine GP visits, ophthalmic services, lab tests, and conservative and limited specialised dentistry, subject to the stated daily limits.
If you seek peace of mind from a product with well-balanced benefits and competitive monthly premiums, be sure to include Equilibrium in your medical aid comparison. In addition to offering members an unlimited hospital plan, this product comprises specified day-to-day cover, chronic benefits and additional cover for children under the age of 21 for three extra chronic conditions not on the Chronic Disease List, plus dental cover and a savings plan. The latter facility should prove sufficient to meet most, if not all, of your other out-of-hospital costs during your 12-month membership.
Our Silver option offers an unlimited hospital plan with extended day-to-day cover for families and individuals who may require a little more support. Like Equilibrium, it covers 29 chronic illnesses and dental needs. However, when making your medical aid comparison, you will notice it includes three extra doctor’s visits for child dependents.
Those with a chronic condition not listed among the prescribed minimum benefits often face costs not covered by some schemes. To assist them, KeyHealth offers the Gold option. The product combines an unlimited hospital pan with superior day-to-day cover and benefits for no less than 44 chronic medical conditions. To these, you can add dental cover, increased savings and cover for out-of-hospital mental healthcare costs.
Finally, our Platinum option is for those who wish to cover every contingency. A medical aid comparison will reveal the usual unlimited hospital plan enhanced by superlative day-to-day cover, a self-funding gap and threshold facility and benefits for 55 chronic conditions. Increased dental cover, out-of-hospital mental health cover, and unlimited oncology and prosthesis benefits are just some of the additional features of this fully-comprehensive option.
Additional Core Benefits
Each of the six options described above is designed to offer appropriate cover and the best possible value for money. However, everyone who invests in a KeyHealth medical aid option automatically qualifies for three additional core benefits. These could be the reason many of our members consider KeyHealth medical aid to be beyond comparison. Easy-ER covers life-threatening emergencies that require immediate treatment, while our Smart Baby programme offers excellent maternity benefits. Finally, our Health Booster adds preventative care, early detection tests and a weight-loss programme.
To summarise, KeyHealth’s extensive product range and free add-ons offer unsurpassed value. But don’t take our word for it. Feel free to download our brochure and conduct your own comparison of our world-class medical aid options or contact us for further assistance.