Medical cover has become expensive. These days, even a minor operation can have you digging into your long-term savings. The high cost of hospital stays, specialist fees and other medical expenses makes it important to have at least some form of medical cover. With all this need for cover a friend or family member might mention to you, different medical aid options or that you must consider medical insurance. This may then get you to ask yourself, what is the difference between Medical Aid and Medical Insurance? Below we provide all the information you’ll need to make the right choice for you and your family. Regulation In South Africa, all medical aid schemes are regulated by the Medical Schemes Act and governed by the Council for Medical Schemes. Health insurance, on the other hand, is regulated by the long-term insurance act and governed by the Financial Services Board. Price One of the most noticeable differences between the two types of cover is the price. Medical aid schemes are notably more expensive, with higher monthly contributions. Medical insurance, however, is far more affordable, but this means there are limitations when it comes to what is covered. You should always consider your health needs when deciding which is best for you. Benefits Medical aids provide Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) for a list of chronic disorders. Medical insurance plans usually focus on daily health care, such as doctors’ visits and short-term medication. A more comprehensive health insurance plan may offer hospital care in the event of an accident or emergency, to a fixed sum. Although a medical aid plan provides more comprehensive cover, it doesn’t generally include personal accident disability or cover for loss of limbs. Health insurance does. It may also include death and funeral cover, which medical aid schemes do not offer. Medical aid schemes offer comprehensive hospital cover, usually for a large variety of in-hospital treatments, depending on your plan. However, there is often a shortfall between medical aid rates and the rates charged by the medical practitioners. (Therefore, Gap cover is always recommended, so to cover for any shortfalls that may occur) Medical insurance does not cover extensive hospital benefits. Hospitalisation is usually limited to accidents and emergencies and only covers specified costs. If costs exceed the limits, members will have to pay for the extra. Medical aids are also required to cover chronic medication, while medical insurance is not. Tax benefits Medical aid contributions are deductible for tax purposes whereas health insurance premiums are not. To apply for cover, contact our healthcare consultant Tammy email: service@daberistic.com tel:(011)658-1333
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On 6th May 2021, Discovery Medical Scheme, South Africa's largest Medical Scheme, announced that the premium increase will start from 1st July. Ryan Noach, Chief Executive Officer at Discovery Health, said that they did not increase their premiums as usual at the beginning of this year, which helped members to save a total of R2.2 billion. He explained that their Medical Scheme is 17 percent cheaper than other Medical Schemes on average. Ryan Noach announced a 5.9% premium increase from 1st July. The total weighted average contributions paid by the members will only increase by 2.95% in the whole 2021, compared to other industry where the members have experienced an average increase of 5.5%. Here is the table of the new premiums from July. Members will receive an email notification about your premium and benefit adjustment in the next two weeks. You can also go to the Discovery website or log in to your discovery cell phone APP, or consult your medical aid broker. If your health care needs or budget has changed, you can change your medical aid option before 15th June, including upgrades and downgrades.
Discovery also proposed a special offer to all members. For both new and old members, if they have not participated in Discovery Vitality or Discovery Gap Cover in the past year, they can now enjoy three months free of charge from 1st July, as long as they join the Vitality and Discovery Gap Cover before the end of June. It means you can save at least R500 per month in the first three months. In addition, they Discovery has shared about the Vaccination programme and also explained the importance of members getting vaccinated, you can read more about the process Click here to read more. If you haven't subscribed to our YouTube channel, please click here to subscribe! Discovery Health shares notes to guide clients on the steps to take in registering on the necessary portals for your vaccination journey. As part of the national vaccination programme, the National Department of Health’s Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) is imminently expected to open to the public. What do you need to do? Everyone in South Africa who wishes to receive the COVID-19 vaccination must register on the National Department of Health’s EVDS. This registration process will be communicated and managed by the National Department of Health. You will have access to additional functionality and tailored support through the Discovery COVID-19 Vaccination Portal. Guidance about this portal and how to register with us will be sent to you next week. Why should you register with both systems?
Registration for citizens 60 years and above opens at 16.00 on Friday, 16 April 2021. EVDS registration guideline and who must resgister All Healthcare workers (public & private), citizens 60 years and above or persons under 18 with co-mobilities whom intend to be vaccinated in Phase 1 and 2 must enroll on the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS). Please click on the below button to take you to Government's EVDS Self Registration Portal User Manual. Source: Discovery Health
Discovery Insure is celebrating 10 years of bringing clients the very best in innovative and rewarding car and home insurance. Now Discovery Insure is bringing more rich enhancements to clients, while continuing to reward clients for driving less and driving well. These enhancements include benefits to protect the whole family, such as updates to our car seat benefit, a unique safety feature, new tools for driving safely, and more. 1. Keeping our children safe on the road with enhanced car seat discounts. Having the correct car seat can significantly reduce your child's risk of injury or fatality if you are involved in a vehicle accident. Discovery has DOUBLED the discounts on car seats from partners: Toys R Us and Born Fabulous. Vitality Drive clients can get up to 50% off car seats, based on their Vitality Drive status. In addition, you will also have access to a wider range of car seats, making child safety on the roads much more accessible. There is also an extension on the benefit to give clients the opportunity to replace a damaged car seat in the event of a motor vehicle accident at no additional cost The increased discount is available from June 2021 onwards. The car seat replacement benefit will be available in 2021, quarter 3. Read more about the car seat benefit and how to redeem your voucher. 2. The Discovery Insure Driving Academy Being at the forefront of innovation and technology, the Discovery Driving Academy places the driver in an artificial environment which is designed to mimic an actual driving experience. The simulator itself mimics a real car and includes an accelerator, brake, clutch, gearbox, indicators and windscreen wipers. The Discovery Driving Academy allows drivers to have:
Courses available The Discovery Driving Academy is available to all members of the public. Discovery clients get 25% off the course fees but as a Discovery Insure client, you get a 50% discount. Other courses for other levels of experience will soon be added. The Driving Academy can be found at 1 Discovery Place, and will be available from April 2021. Bookings we will be available on the Discovery website. 3. Additional protection with Motion Alert for the Crowd Search Sensor Vitality Drive clients automatically have access to state-of-the-art safety features. The Crowd Search Sensor now offers an additional layer of protection using new telematics technology. How it works Motion Alert uses the latest telematics technology to identify when your phone is not in the vehicle at the time that the vehicle is moving, thus alerting you to possible theft of your vehicle. 4. New services with Vitality Drive Vitality Drive is Discovery Insure's unique driver behaviour programme that rewards you for driving well. In order to help you manage your driving behaviour even better, Discovery has upgraded the monthly Vitality Drive performance dashboard effective from May 2021. What's new on your Dashboard? You will be able to view:
At the Drive Centres, you can:
Keep an eye out for your new personalised Dashboardand visit www.discovery.co.za to find the location of the Discovery Drive Centre closest to you. 5. Upgrade to the latest Apple or Samsung cellphone every year With our Purple Plan, you can upgrade to the latest Apple or Samsung cellphone every year! We are excited to announce that we have a brand new partnership with Cellucity in addition to our partnership with iStore. To qualify for the cellphone upgrade, you must have:
If you qualify, email the Discovery Insure Partners team at dipartners@discovery.co.za and Discovery Insure will provide you with a voucher of R10 000 which you can use at any iStore or Cellucity. You will need to pay any amounts that are more than the R10 000. If you choose to trade in your existing cellphone, it will contribute towards the cost of the new cellphone. We are excited to give you this update and we are sure that you will get great value from it. Get more information about Discovery Insure's Purple Plan cellphone upgrade benefit. 6. Keeping your personal information safe As a valued client we would like to make sure you experience the best service, stay informed and have access to all the information pertaining to your insurance plan. This is why we are gradually changing the way we communicate with you in accordance with the POPI Act. Going forward, all communication that contains personal information will be accessed via a secure log in on the website or on the app. Follow this guide on your personal information to make sure you have updated your contact details and security settings on the website and mobile app. Source: Discovery Insure
Prevention is always better than cure and that is the main objective of the screening benefit. Medical Aids strive to help their members in detecting medical conditions early. The Screening and Prevention Benefit covers preventive tests, screenings, and a seasonal flu vaccination (for members registered for certain chronic conditions and members over the age of 65) on all Discovery Health Medical Scheme Plans. Having these specific tests conducted (up to the specified number) will not impact your day to day benefits. 1. Tests covered by the benefit:
2. The Vitality Check, a group test done at network pharmacies include:
3. Seasonal flu vaccination – you qualify each year if you’re over age of 65 or registered for one of the below chronic conditions:
4. Screening for kids
You may have certain co-payments
Please be reminded that Medical aid upgrades for 2021 will end soon, please make sure you have submitted your change by 30 November. For clients on Discovery KeyCare plan, Momentum Ingwe plan, Bonitas Boncap plan and have been selected to do income verification, please make sure all required documents are submitted to prevent your service provider resulting to default to the highest income band and therefore the highest contribution will apply.
Please note: Members joining Momentum health Ingwe option with effect 01 October 2020 onwards will not be required to submit information for income verification (declaration and proof of income). They will remain on their current income bracket moving into 2021 and the new premium will automatically be applicable from 01 January 2021. For more information on medical aid plans, please see below videos, brochures and links to assist you with change of option decision. Discovery Plan series and videos
Below are Discovery Health Plan Guides Brochures for 2021
To help you stay healthy and informed on the COVID-19 situation, Discovery will continue to provide the most up-to-date information and guidance through COVID-19 Information Hub Below are Momentum Health Plan Guides Brochures for 2021 Below are Bonitas Plan Guides Brochures for 2021 Vitality is the world’s leading science-based behavioural-change programme that encourages and rewards you for living healthier, driving well and banking well. With over 10 million Vitality members in 22 markets enjoying thousands of rewards, you can be part of the Vitality family and start your journey to a healthier you and a safer way of life. Enjoy bigger, better rewards with Vitality. From half-price movies, flight savings, cash back on your groceries, fuel savings, weekly rewards and more, being healthier, driving well and banking well has never been more rewarding. The terms and conditions apply to the Vitality Premium Holiday special offer which gives eligible Discovery members by the Discovery Health, who join full Vitality Health or Vitality Purple between 01 October and 31 December 2020, the first three months of their membership free. For 1 November activation, the first premium will be deducted in February 2021; for 1 December activation, the first premium will be deducted in March 2021 and for 1 January activation, the first premium will be deducted in April 2021. For more information about the terms and conditions, please visit: https://www.discovery.co.za/assets/template-resources/terms-and-conditions/vitality/vitality-premium-holiday.pdf |
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