To understand the benefits of medical aid, it helps to understand how a medical scheme actually works. Regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes, medical aids are non-profit organisations that are also registered as such by the Registrar of Medical Schemes in South Africa. The members that belong to a medical aid each contributes through their monthly fees to the well-being of the scheme, which in turn provides all members with medical cover in terms of their chosen plan. An elected board of trustees oversees the affairs of the scheme and may undertake various activities for the overall benefit of the scheme. Probably some of the most important stipulations of governing legislation include that a medical scheme has to offer a minimum range of benefits to members and that full disclosure by both parties is essential.
In the case of medical aid, that means ensuring that consumers are fully aware of every implication contained in the scheme or plan they have chosen. In the case of new members, it means being transparent about your medical history and current needs. Long wary of downplaying their health, South African consumers need not fear such full disclosure. It’s really about being ready to take care of your medical needs, for the scheme, and such information can also, of course, guide consultants in their advice to you when joining. All of us know what we’d like to experience from medical cover, where our concerns lie, and what has historically plagued us. Being clear about your health profile lets you be clear about what you need in terms of medical cover.
Understanding the Benefits That You Personally Need
The whole idea behind a medical aid is that you’re relieved of the worry around medical treatment. Hence, it’s crucial to be clear about your medical history, so that you can determine what you need, along with the legally prescribed list of procedures and conditions. Known as “prescribed minimum benefits”, the Medical Schemes Act of 1998 has mandated treatment for these conditions and procedures as a baseline offering of all registered medical aids in the country. It’s been a huge relief for both consumers and providers, as it eliminates the guesswork when it comes to offering and evaluating medical cover. Knowing that you’re covered in a fundamental sense goes a long way towards the assurance that you don’t have to foot the bill for a host of common ailments.
Personalised benefits, however, are benefits you feel you’d like to have as part of your medical cover, because of your health profile. This is where it becomes crucial for consumers to invest some thought into what they consider important and it is also crucial to engage with a professional, reputable and transparent service provider that will walk you through everything in an unhurried and logical manner. A common profile is that of someone who seldom sees a doctor, and who tends to treat minor illnesses with self-medication on the advice of a pharmacist. Paying for unlimited GP visits won’t make sense at this stage of life then, and it would be far better to have benefits in other arenas, like hospital emergency care, rather than paying for a benefit that will seldom be used. Don’t forget, medical cover is non-profit, and the money invested and saved is the member’s money, as well as every other member on the scheme. Therefore, it makes sense to choose wisely based on your affordability and known needs, because it makes catering for everyone on the scheme that much easier.
KeyHealth is Here to Help You
It certainly helps to wade through the benefits selection process when you have someone from the industry on your side. That is who we are at KeyHealth－a return to the customer-focused, mutual aid ethos that medical cover should encapsulate. That means we keep things simple and easy to choose from.
At KeyHealth, we’re all about medical cover that actually addresses your needs. Our costing is transparent, affordable and frequently monitored. We do the work required to know that our plan options are fairly priced and relevant to the modern South African medical landscape. Visit us online and see how elegantly simple medical aid can be. We’ll come right back to you with the kind of service you deserve to iron out the medical cover you need.
