Medical aid cover is somewhat of an essential insurance if you want to access quality health care services. Even if you are young and healthy, you may fall ill at any time, be a victim of crime or have an accident. When you need health care, you want the best medical services available and despite the government’s best efforts to provide quality care, the public health system is overburdened and understaffed. The possibility of a labour strike or budget cuts may mean that you are at the mercy of those with wage disputes or a lack of resources. A medical aid is the way to ensure that you have access to quality health care at any time.
What are medical aids?
A medical aid is a type of insurance that covers you for medical costs when you fall ill. Many medical aids also have wellness programs in place to help keep you healthy by educating you on health care and providing screening services so that you can spot a health problem before it starts or complicates further. Most importantly, a medical aid protects you against the exorbitant costs of private hospital care as well as chronic cover to ensure that you have all the necessary medicines to manage a chronic disease.
For more information, refer to these articles :
- What is a Medical Aid?
- List of Medical Aids
- Medical Aids in South Africa
- What to look for in a Medical Aid
- How to join a Medical Aid
- Hospital Cash Back Plans are not Medical Aids
Who will be covered on my medical aid?
All your dependents can be covered on your medical aid. This includes your spouse or partner, children, parents and even nephews and nieces if you are supporting them. As long as you can afford the monthly contributions which increases with the number of dependents on your medical aid, you can ensure cover for your loved ones on your plan.
How much will you pay for a medical aid?
This varies from a few hundred rands per month to thousands, depending on the type of cover and number of dependents on your medical aid. While medical aid rates vary, most schemes charge around the same prices for equivalent plans. However, if your employer is contributing towards your monthly payments, then you may pay significantly less than a person who is paying for the cover on their own. You can take a look at some of these articles for a better understanding on different aspects of cover.
- Medical Aid Rates
- Medical Aid Prices
- Cheap Medical Aid
- Low Cost Medical Aid
- Affordable Medical Aid
- Compare Medical Aids
Which medical aid is ideal for me?
This depends on individual factors but primarily depends on what you can afford and what extent of cover you want from your medical aid. You can read more about individual aspects on :
- Family Medical Aid
- Student Medical Aid
- Company Medical Aid
- Medical Aid for HIV Positive People
- Medical Aid for Pregnant Women
- Medical Aid Hospital Plans
Which medical aid is the best?
There is no single medical aid that can claim to be the best. Some, like Discovery Health, Fedhealth, Bonitas and Oxygen have the best credit ratings. Other medical aids like Momentum Health, Spectramed and Sizwe also have very good credit ratings. This fluctuates on an annual basis but it means that they are fairly stable schemes. Ideally you would want to join a financially stable medical aid to ensure that your cover is ongoing and there are no complications with claims when you need it the most.
Do I have to be employed to have a medical aid?
No. Even if you are unemployed but can afford the cover, you can join a medical aid. This include pensioners and children, although minors will usually have to be a dependent on an adult’s medical aid. However, you need to consider the practicality of paying for a medical aid over the long term if you do not have a stable source of income.
- Medical Aid for the Unemployed
- Medical Aid when Retrenched
- Medical Aid for Pensioners
- Medical Aid for Retirement
- Medical Aid for Senior Citizens
- Medical Aid for Children
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