Choosing a medical scheme is not easy and paying the monthly subscription fees is even more difficult. Here are some pointers on choosing a medical scheme to fit your family’s profile.

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You may feel you get nothing in return for your contribution. You also do not know exactly what your family’s healthcare needs will be the next year and whether the package and scheme you have selected will meet their needs.

Then, suddenly, one of your family members is hospitalised and you are confronted with the high cost of hospitalisation and related expenses. You can either heave a sigh of relief because you have sufficient medical cover, or you can scurry around borrowing money for a deposit to be admitted to hospital. Then you realise that your subscription actually buys you peace of mind for the times when you must focus on supporting a member of your family.

But how can you determine whether your subscription premium really buys you peace of mind?

There are a few very important qualities that a medical scheme, and the benefit options it offers, must possess and that you must consider when choosing a medical scheme.

Financial stability
Determine whether the reserve level of the medical scheme complies with the statutory requirement of 25% at the beginning of 2005 as stipulated by the Registrar of Medical Schemes. You will find this information in the scheme’s annual report.

With a solvency level of more than 27% at the end of 2004 Medihelp exceeds the statutory required solvency level of 25% determined by the Registrar of Medical Schemes. This means that Medihelp’s reserve funds are more than sufficient of pay its members’ claims.

Service
There are only minor differences in the benefit options offered by medical schemes. Therefore, service is the only factor that sets medical schemes apart. As a member of a medical scheme, you are entitled to good service. Determine how independent research has rated the service of the medical scheme you are considering.

Medihelp is generally acknowledged as the scheme that renders the best client service in the healthcare industry. According to the official SAS Index™ 2005, survey conducted by Synovate and the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) Medihelp is the medical scheme with the highest satisfaction score and the lowest percentage of dissatisfied clients in the medical schemes and municipalities industries.

Size, experience and administrative ability
The rating awarded to a medical scheme by the independent rating company Global Credit Rating, the scheme’s experience and the number of members enrolled with the scheme are other important factors that should be taken into account.

Medihelp is the third-largest medical scheme in the country and celebrates its centenary this year. Medihelp received an A+ rating from the independent rating company Global Credit Rating for the seventh consecutive year.

Competitive benefit options
Compare the price (subscription) you have to pay with the benefits you receive in return for this premium. It is important that high-cost expenses like hospitalisation receive sufficient cover and that provision is made for medical expenses not incurred during hospitalisation.

Medihelp offers competitive benefits which meet a variety of healthcare needs.

Phone Medihelp now on 086 0100 678 to find out how our benefit options and scheme can meet your healthcare needs or visit our website at http://www.medihelp.co.za.
 

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