Why You Need Medical Aid

Medical aid does NOT restrict you when you need to go to hospital.

You can be admitted for any emergency or diagnosed condition, as long as it is medically necessary.

A medical aid guarantees immediate private treatment, with no deposit or co-payment needed and without you having to experience long, life-threatening delays.

The "golden hour" for life-saving intervention is not a myth, and most private hospitals will not even admit a patient without medical aid!
Patients without medical aid will be stabilised and treated until a room can be found in a public hospital.

You also have access to casualty and day clinic benefits that require no deposits.

Use network providers and their costs can be fully covered.

You also need to be able to buy medication quickly, because the sooner a serious ailment is properly treated, the quicker your recovery!
And that medication can be expensive, as generic medicines are not always sufficient for serious conditions.

Choose a convenient private hospital when you need one, as opposed to government care where you have no choice. State providers are often far from home, creating an inconvenience for you and your family.

Government ambulance services are slow compared to private services, which can mean the difference between life and death. In addition, if you need medical help in a remote area, a private service will get you to a hospital much more quickly than the state.

Although few patients go bankrupt over a GP or dental bill, a lack of cash can prevent many people from seeking medical treatment.
Even small ailments, like colds and flu, can develop into major illnesses if not quickly and appropriately treated.

Consultation fees are not cheap, and with prescribed medication costs, many cannot afford to get care on their own.

You may also not be able to work while hospitalised, which means you could lose out on income as well.

It can be extremely difficult to pay for expensive medical costs without medical aid, especially without extensive emergency funds available.

If you have a history of hereditary chronic disease in your family, like high blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes, or if you already have a chronic illness, you'll be able to receive treatment and medication as and when you need it.

The cost of medicines, treatment, and related complications from chronic conditions like asthma, cardiac failure, epilepsy, or rheumatoid arthritis can be crippling, long-term expenses.

Medical aids offer chronic benefits and must pay the full costs of diagnosis, treatment, and medicines for certain Prescribed Minimum Benefit conditions.

There are 270 medical and 26 chronic conditions medical aids must cover and pay for.

This happens even on a hospital-only benefit plan!

The number of chronic illnesses, like cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, certain cancers, and dementia, is increasing at an alarming rate as a result of modern lifestyles.

Conditions like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke rates are increasingly affecting younger people.
Modern treatment techniques and drugs are so expensive that many without a medical aid cannot access them.

A medical aid will provide you with access to the best treatment, allowing you to recover or control your chronic condition.

A medical aid gives you the opportunity to go for annual check-ups.

A healthy lifestyle is a goal for most people, and joining a medical aid is the first step on that path because it helps pay for essential check-ups and routine doctor visits for tests that are vital in early detection of illness and disease!
Tests like blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, and HIV screening. Cover is also offered for mammograms, Pap smears, prostate screening, and more.

If you identify concerns early, the prognosis of a full recovery is multiplied many times over!

Most schemes offer wellness and rewards programmes.

These reward programmes encourage members to lead active, healthy lives, even rewarding safe driving!

For participating, they receive benefits such as gym membership discounts, holiday accommodation savings, half-price movies, flight savings, cash back on groceries, fuel savings, and weekly rewards.

Even employers benefit, as healthier employees mean fewer sick days, better attendance, and improved company productivity!

If you understand how best to use these incentives and programmes, you can gain significant rewards for remaining healthy.

For many medical aid members, these rewards are the deciding factor in choosing a scheme. Signing up with the right one could kick-start a new and healthy lifestyle!

Knowing that you and your family can afford to get the best private care the minute you need it gives huge peace of mind.

Events like car accidents, crime, or sports-related incidents can happen to anyone at any age.

A medical scheme relies on cross-subsidisation to remain affordable. Younger, healthier members help offset the higher healthcare costs of older members (and one day, you too will be older and require greater medical aid benefits!).

Medical cover is the most important safety net you can buy for yourself and your family.
Consider your health as an investment, for without it you will not be able to earn a living!