In South Africa the word “medical insurance” is referred to as “medical aid”. Medical aid is a huge necessity in South Africa, especially for prospective immigrants. Medical aid is not something you should attempt to go without.
Medical aid in South Africa
The truth is that private medical care in South Africa differs substantially from that of state care. In South Africa state hospitals do not have the same resources that private care does. For example it is not uncommon for people in state care to wait months on end to see a specialist, where as in private care this can happen in a very short period of time once an appointment is booked.
Hospital treatment is very expensive and if you do not have medical aid in South Africa, you run the risk of landing in a state hospital or alternatively landing up with extremely expensive medical bills which can land in the hundreds of thousands of rands. Either option is anything less than ideal and therefore private medical aid is going to be within your best interest.
In addition to medical aid in South Africa, it is important to obtain gap cover. Gap cover is offered at a small premium. In South Africa specialists and certain doctors can charge up to 300 % of GDP rates, when the typical medical aid only covers 100 % of GDP rates. Therefore a gap cover bridges the gap between what your medical aid covers and what doctor’s and specialists charge.
There are a number of private medical aid providers in South Africa. Each provider offers different premiums, benefits and options. It is essential to understand the full significance of selecting a specific provider as well as the different coverage options which they provide you with.
What is the best plan of action to get medical insurance?
The general process which is used in South Africa for obtaining advice on South African medical insurance is via a medical broker. The medical broker which you select should be registered as well as not tied to one particular company, they should rather be independent.
For more information on South African medical aid schemes, feel free to take a look here.
Should you wish to further understand the requirements for medical aid admission in South Africa please take a look here.