What’s different about Momentum medical aid? The answer to this question is simple, they are the first medical aid in South Africa that gives you access to HealthReturns and lets you save up to 30% on your medical aid contribution. If this isn’t enough to get you interested then why not take a look at what they have to offer you other than this. If you join Momentum medical aid then you will have access to their innovative mobisite for medical information on the go and more importantly, they have the youngest principal member age in the open scheme industry. If you find yourself asking “What’s different about Momentum medical aid?” and the above did not convince you to take a look at what they have to offer then why not consider this – they are the fifth largest medical aid provider in South Africa and service over 90000 families across the country. In addition to this, they offer their members great savings rewards and lower monthly contributions if you use one of their schemes associated providers. If I have now sparked your interest, then why not visit www.momentum.co.za and take a look at the six medical aid options available. The six medical options available are: The Ingwe Option which provides entry-level cover; The Access Option which provides cost-effective, unlimited private hospitalisation at a group of network hospitals; The Custom Option which was designed for members who require unlimited private hospitalisation; The Incentive Option was designed for members who require… Read More

When the world unraveled because of the financial crisis, many sought to free up cash by cancelling their monthly insurance premiums. But many found that this was not a smart move in the long run. The question of “Is medical aid worth the money?” is a valid question and one, which is explored below.   Have you ever been faced with the following? Not being able to afford quality health care; Not having money to buy proper medicine; Not receiving the service you had hoped for when seeking medical treatment; Being frustrated by bureaucratic health processes, even when needing a simple procedure.   The list of frustrations can go on, and purely having the correct medical aid plan can solve many of these.   You need to assess your needs before deciding on which plan you should opt for. Your present life stage is a great determining factor of whether you need a basic plan or something more detailed. Consider the following stages to help as a guide: Have you just recently graduated and starting your first job? Are you pregnant or have a wife who is? Have you got a family of at least one if not more children? Are you on your own and have only you to care about health wise? Are you taking care of a parent or other family member?   There are likely to be a few more scenarios, but let’s briefly explore each one here to determine the answer to the question “Is… Read More

Bonitas Medical Fund is a medical aid scheme that was established in 1982, and prides itself on award-winning service, providing unbeatable value for money and on being the second-largest open medical aid scheme in South Africa. Bonitas provides numerous healthcare products, which are discussed below. Bonitas offers 6 key types of medical aid, namely: BonComprehensive BonEssential BonSave Standard Primary BonCap Bonitas structures their product offerings according to various levels of healthcare needs. This allows members to accurately determine what kind of product they need, based on their level of health and medical aid needs. The four categories of healthcare needs are: Major Medical Covers in hospital medical expenses and major medical events such as surgery Chronic medication Covers medication for serious and chronic conditions (i.e. conditions that require medication on a continuous ongoing basis) Supplementary Covers medical expenses incurred in or out of hospital Out of hospital Covers out of hospital medical benefits (i.e. doctor’s visits etc) In terms of Major Medical, being on the BonComprehensive would obviously provide you with the greatest amount of cover.  The reimbursement rate is at 300% Bonitas rate, and your cover is unlimited. The BonSave would reimburse you at 150%, while the BonEssential at 100%. Both of these also provide unlimited cover, and cover you at any hospital (i.e. you do not need to go to a specific Bonitas-affiliated hospital to be covered). In terms of Chronic Benefits, the more comprehensive your medical aid plan, the more conditions you are covered for. The BonComprehensive… Read More

Medical aid is a crucial investment in our society of fast cars, fatty foods and high stress levels. Obtaining medical aid as a pensioner or senior citizen can be tricky, however, especially when you have not been on medical aid for most of your younger life. As you get older, it is a sad fact that your health generally starts to deteriorate. Your health care needs can often increase exponentially at this time in your life, and you need good solid medical aid cover now more than ever. A key issue for pensioners is that once retired, your monthly income becomes sufficiently squeezed, if it does not dry out completely. Having good retirement plans in place from an early age is essential in ensuring that you have enough money to continue paying for premium medical aid services. This is not always a viable reality, however, and the result is that older people end up paying for hospital plans only, most of which do not provide the kind of medical cover and care required by these aging citizens. For many people in South Africa, their medical aid premiums are either fully or partly subsidized by their employers. This of course also comes to an end at retirement age (which for most people is 65). Some companies do offer options for post-retirement medical aid funding, so ensure you speak to your employers in advance to find out what your options are. It may be worth paying a higher contribution while you are… Read More

Medical malpractice at the hands of a doctor is a frightening thought – doctors are inherently trusted to make us better, not worse. If you do find yourself looking at malpractice, you need to know how to claim for negligence, and what legal options are available to you. Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which care provided deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error. (www.wikipedia.com) Note that medical malpractice is not limited to doctors; it can also apply to nurses, dentists, osteopaths, health care facilities (problems with medication, hygiene or treatment) and health care services such as nursing homes. Negligence takes place when a medical professional’s actions do not meet the accepted standards of practice. Negligence can occur in one of these three stages of health care: 1. Diagnosis Incorrectly diagnosing or misdiagnosing a condition Delaying the diagnosis, resulting in a less favourable or unfortunate outcome Reporting incorrectly on test results 2. Treatment Performing surgery without the proper care and skill Providing post-operative care without the proper attention and skill Failing to provide the appropriate referral for the condition Treating a condition inappropriately 3. Illness management Providing insufficient warning, or no warning at all, of the risks associated with a procedure or treatment Failing to inform the patient of alternative treatments or procedures If you have suffered or suspect you have suffered negligence, you… Read More

Funeral cover is something most of us don’t like to think about too much. Like life insurance, it reminds us that we are fragile and that life could take an unexpected turn at any time. However, getting adequate funeral cover is essential to make sure you are covered if you were to die unexpectedly. “A funeral cover policy is there to help you pay for the costs involved in a funeral so your family can focus their time and energy on healing.” (www.funeralplans.za.net). There is a common misconception that people don’t need funeral cover, as there will be enough money in their estates for their family to fund the funeral. However, the reality is that most of the time, your estate is frozen when you die, and those funds only become available to family members much later down the line. This means that without funeral cover, your family would be left to foot the bill for your funeral. Funerals today can cost between about R7,000 – R30,000, depending on various factors. This is a significant amount of money to come up with in a short space of time, especially when you are grieving the loss of a loved one at the same time. Funeral cover varies depending on who you take this out through, and what kind of cover you go for. Funeral cover can cover just you, or can cover extended family members as well. Obviously, the more people who are covered on your policy, the higher your premiums… Read More

Let Bonitas take care of your family’s health, because it is very important that you have a medical aid and also hospital plans. You will find that other health insurances such as Discovery, their prices are skyrocketing and this is why you may consider Bonitas Healthcare. It is affordable and it is designed so that your health is a priority. Bonitas is the second best health care aid in SA after Discovery, and wherei this medical aid is different from the many others out there is that they offer 5 medical plans that are perfect for the ordinary blue collar worker to the white collar worker. If you are looking for a medical that is right for you, you should let Bonitas take care of your family’s health, because they know how important your health is to them and also to yourself. Bonitas medical aid covers hospital and medical expenses and you will also find that all hospital medical rates are paid in full, as long as it is within the rates negotiated with them. The other great thing is that Bonitas medical cover does not only cover you in hospital but also out of hospital. If you are looking for healthcare plans and medical aids, and it does not matter whether those needs are basic or comprehensive, this trusted medical aid company has the right product for you. This is definitely a cover suitable for everyone and hospital plans and their medical aids are welcome in most hospitals and… Read More

If you are pregnant and do not yet being to a medical aid, the need for medical cover is likely to suddenly become very important you as your maternal instincts kick into gear. However, joining a medical aid scheme while pregnant has become almost impossible in South Africa. Medical aids usually do not cover any procedure or treatment for a pre-existing condition within the first year of joining a scheme. This applies to pregnancy as well. While it is clear that pregnancy is not a disease or illness, and should this not be lumped in the same bucket from a medical aid point of view, the fact remains that medical aid providers need to weigh up the costs to them relative to what the member has contributed towards her medical care. Medical aid is not cheap, and many young mothers (especially those without stable partners or husbands) are unable to afford the monthly premiums. Due to the high cost of being on a medical aid, there has been a trend in South Africa whereby pregnant woman join the scheme, stay on it during pregnancy, and then cancel their contracts shortly after the baby is born. (www.vitacare.co.za). Most South African medical aid providers have now stopped accepting new members if they are pregnant, to protect themselves against what was becoming a burgeoning trend. While there are still one or two that do, these usually have very strict criteria for the women who can join. For example, they may have to be… Read More

Remedi medical aid scheme offers three different types of cover, and it is up to you to decide which will be the best one for you. Sometimes things happen that land us in hospital. Most of the time people that do not have a medical aid will end up suffering with the hospital costs and find themselves in debt. It is very important that when you are looking at a few quotes and compare them with others. The three options that Remedy Medical Aid Scheme offers is the Standard, the Classic and the Comprehensive options. When looking at the Remedie medical aid scheme and the Standard option, you will receive in-hospital and also defined Out-of-Hospital care. This is subject to a yearly limit for those who need to make use of a private healthcare facility. Out-of-hospital care makes use of a network of contracted providers and/or doctors by CareCross to assist with practitioner visits, chronic and acute medication, pathology, optometry, radiology and dentistry for a monthly fee. The Classic option will provide you with cover for any in-hospital care when needed, and like the Standard option, it is also subject to a yearly limit. Out-of-Hospital will provide you with cover with Insured benefits, but this is subjects to certain limits. The Comprehensive option will provide you with in-hospital cover and also other defined care. This is also subject to a yearly limit. The Comprehensive cover also provides you with Out-of-Hospital cover, but this is the only option that will provide… Read More

While paying for medical aid can feel like a grudge spend, it is crucial to have some form of medical cover. Deciding between a hospital plan or a full medical aid scheme can be daunting, but it your choice, depending on your needs, budget and current state of health. The basic difference, of course, lies in the amount for which you are covered, and the amount you pay every month. A full medical aid scheme usually entails “comprehensive” cover – this is a relative term depending on your medical aid provider, but basic medical and emergency care is usually covered at a minimum.  The major benefit here is peace of mind, knowing that should you have a car accident or require emergency life-saving surgery, you will be covered. A slight drawback with most of these schemes, is that you are also “forced” into contributing large sums of money each month which go into a medical savings account. While an MSA can be useful, many people feel that they could just as easily not pay money into an MSA, and just pay for their day-to-day expenses out of their regular accounts. A hospital plan, on the other hand, is basically an entry-level medical aid, usually covering you should you need to be admitted to hospital, but not covering you for anything else. A distinct disadvantage here is that “many medical aid plans have restrictive regulations, such as that you are only covered for certain major surgical procedures, or that you must… Read More