Choosing whether to sign up for a hospital plan versus a medical aid scheme can be daunting. Often, people get confused between what a medical aid covers and what a hospital plan covers. It is therefore a good idea to find out exactly what the differences are between the two so that you can make a well-informed choice. Why not get a free quote from KeyHealth today!
Quite simply, just as the name suggests, a hospital plan only covers your expenses while you are in hospital, so any trip to the doctor or purchasing medicine would be at your own expense. Even if you go to an emergency room, but are not admitted to the hospital for treatment, you will have to pay for the visit yourself. With either a hospital plan or a medical aid scheme, you pay a monthly premium. However, you pay far less for a hospital plan than for a medical aid scheme.
What’s the Difference?
The primary difference between a hospital plan and medical aid is that a medical aid covers both in-hospital and day-to-day medical costs and usually offers a host of value-added benefits such as wellness programmes and dental and optometry benefits. Hospital plans are often the starting point to get you on track for medical aid. It is an entry-level and a more affordable option. Comprehensive medical aid charges very high monthly premiums, ensuring comprehensive cover for every medical emergency or incident you may incur. However, there are very strict regulations in place that can prohibit the paying member from having all their necessary procedures and medication covered. Comprehensive medical aids can be restrictive.
A hospital plan might be the most suitable for fit, healthy, or younger people. It costs them less in premiums per month which suits, as they need less cover for fewer medical procedures or surgeries. Hospital plans also offer different types of cover to suit your budget so, for instance, you might choose a cover that only applies to major surgery. However, this doesn’t give you the peace of mind that a comprehensive medical cover will give. Annual visits to the gynaecologist, the optometrist or the dentist are sure to burn a hole in your wallet, resulting in many people not having their annual check-ups, and this can be dangerous to their health. With comprehensive medical aid, you’re given a set number of visits to various types of medical professionals so you can keep your health in check.
What’s Best?
Do you have a chronic illness requiring regular expensive medication and visits to the specialist? Or are you planning on having a baby? The best thing is to then get a decent medical aid scheme rather than just a hospital plan. Hospital plans are designed for people who are not expecting to have regular or ongoing medical issues. Get some hospital plan quotes if you have children who are older and have very few medical issues apart from the normal colds and flu, and if your health is not compromised. Hospital plans certainly do cover certain medications, but not as many as the comprehensive list of chronic medications that medical aid schemes cover. The medications offered by registered medical aids cover about 26 prescribed chronic conditions. Each hospital plan has its own medications they can cover, but essentially, they are the ones most commonly used.
You don’t have to break the bank or burn a hole in your pocket – you can find affordable hospital plan quotes that will offer your family the protection you need at an affordable rate. KeyHealth has many different hospital plan quotes for our members. With multiple options available at the press of a button, KeyHealth is here to fulfil every South African’s dreams of protecting their family and can offer you a free quote.
Nobody ever likes to think of fatal illnesses, car accidents, medical trauma or disabilities, but the reality is that these things can happen. Life is unpredictable, and situations arise that were never imagined. You need to be prepared. Get some quotes on hospital plans and start comparing them all. Check out the offerings of each and look out for any shortfalls. Read the fine print too. Comparing hospital plan quotes is not only the most responsible way to evaluate what’s best for you; it is also the smartest way.
With KeyHealth Medical, claiming your money back is trouble-free and simple. It is most likely that either the doctors or medical staff will input the claim on your behalf. Don’t stress if there are instances when you may have to put cash up front for the hospital procedure. KeyHealth will refund you shortly afterwards. Ensure all your documentation is in order, then you can be guaranteed a quick refund period.
There might also be times where the medical service provider will require cash payments before performing the procedure or offering their service. If this is the case, the members will be refunded shortly after assuming they provide the correct and completed documentation. Members then have up to four months to claim back their cash payment from KeyHealth. KeyHealth Medical aims to put the needs of our members at the top of our list of priorities. Our members’ needs are varied and wide-ranging.
We have over 88 000 members on our medical aid schemes and hospital plans. The numbers just keep growing and this is testimony to our amazing offerings. Choose a hospital plan that is offered by a world class company. Call us today for your free quote!
