How to Choose the Right Health Insurance Provider in South Africa

South Africans are faced with a crisis where millions are in need of quality healthcare but end up having to depend on state facilities that are already overcrowded and understaffed.

More than three quarters of South Africans, which amount to several million people, are living without medical aid or private insurance schemes. This leaves them with no choice but to depend on South Africa’s public healthcare facilities which may not offer optimal service due to overcrowding and lack of staff. Therefore, the need for a competent health insurer that offers quality private day-to-day cover is inevitable. (Information Credit: https://getsavvi.co.za/primary-care-plus)

Factors to Consider:

Health insurance is a big deal and people should carefully examine and evaluate which health insurance schemes are best for them. The following factors can be used to select the best affordable health insurance in South Africa.

1. Estimating your healthcare needs: A good health insurance plan covers all aspects of a medical injury which includes various types of accidents and ailments. However, before you can choose one, you should evaluate your individual healthcare needs. This includes checking your medical history extensively to identify any lingering or chronic illnesses. Many ailments and special medical procedures are not covered by several health insurance schemes. Therefore, it is imperative to check whether a certain insurance provider covers a range of ailments, accidents or procedures like chronic and acute medication, basic or emergency dentistry, maternity, radiology, pathology and general doctors’ visits.
2. Consider your expenses: Many people make hasty financial decisions while selecting the appropriate insurance plan. As a result, many of them fail to pay the premium on time or altogether, which results in their scheme becoming null and void. Therefore, an individual’s budget and projected expense should be taken into account. This largely depends on the amount of deductibles in your scheme. Schemes with higher deductibles can result in lower monthly premiums, and vice versa.

3. Checking the reputation and credibility: The reputation of a company can determine whether the company has conducted business while maintaining customer satisfaction. Reading online reviews, checking various medical websites or simple questions asked of your GP can give you a clearer picture. A company with a good reputation and credibility should be chosen to ensure that the quality of services provided is of the best standard and conducted without any hiccups.

The health insurance landscape can be quite tricky to navigate and people can end up making costly decisions. By following the above factors as a rule of thumb, policyholders can make smarter choices which will allow them to take better control of their individual and family healthcare needs.