You Get What You Pay For So Stick to the Best
It is always better to stick to the best.
That is probably the most important credo to remember when selecting a Hospital Plan.
Low monthly premiums more often than not mean a low level of benefits.
After all “you get what you pay for” is true of most things in life.
Points to consider
- Obtain a medical aid Hospital Plan from an established company with a large membership pool
- Re-evaluate selecting a Hospital Plan from a short-term insurance company – the benefits are much lower than those offered by Medical Aid Schemes and they are not obliged to conform to the regulations stipulated by the Medical Schemes Act
What are the best Hospital Plans? – Stick to the Best
There are 10 core Hospital Plans available in South Africa.
Generally regarded among the Top Five are:
- Discovery Health
- Fedhealth
- Resolution Health
- Momentum Health
- Various options, depending on the hospitals selected
All of these Hospital Plans offer full cover on stipulated scheme rates.
Members should always use their scheme’s designated network of medical practitioners and hospitals.
This will ensure they do not have to pay any excess amounts imposed by non-network providers.
When Hospital Plans offer an unlimited choice of service providers, members leave themselves open to expensive and unexpected costs for medical services. Non-network providers do not have to adhere to tariffs designated by medical schemes and can charge up to five times more for their services.
In such cases, members should seriously consider supplementing their Hospital Plans with Gap Cover which is affordable and pays the shortfall between a medical scheme’s payment tariffs and the final bills imposed by the medical profession.
Overview
Hospital Plans are exactly that – they cover members for in-hospital medical treatment at times when most needed – accidents, disease and sudden illness.
Monthly premiums are far more affordable than full medical aid because members are responsible for paying their own daily medical needs such as visits to doctors, dentists, optometrists and chemists.
Hospital Plans allow members to control their own daily medical budgets.
However, to be most effective, members of Hospital Plans should stick to the best network of medical service providers – including doctors, specialists, anaesthetists, hospitals and emergency transportation – stipulated in their contracts.
Failing to comply with network service provider stipulations opens up members to huge and unforeseen additional costs.
Conclusion
Before selecting a Hospital Plan, consumers should make use of the qualified advisors available free of charge by the various medical scheme companies.
They must also always read the fine print of their contract before committing to any specific Hospital Plan.
Obtaining advice from a broker could also prove invaluable.
For a FREE hospital plan quote, complete the form on this page.
All info was correct at time of publishing