Closing the gap in affordable healthcare in South Africa
South Africans are increasingly under financial pressures which are forcing households to make different choices, so that their finances can stretch further. This includes reviewing how they can afford the healthcare that they need.
Affordable healthcare remains an ongoing concern for many families. With a view to managing their financial burdens, South Africans have for many years, been revising their healthcare options, to more affordable ones.
Healthcare providers have been looking at ways to continuously innovate and develop new affordable products, that provide private healthcare to more people, including those that are not on medical aid.
Some of the solutions that have been developed by product providers include:
1. Prepaid healthcare solutions that change the way consumers have traditionally paid for private healthcare:
• Prepaid healthcare for day-to-day needs
These products allow clients to conveniently access prepaid vouchers for routine healthcare at an affordable cost with no monthly fees and hidden expenses. This option not only provides pay-as-you-go access to private healthcare but can also be used to provide for loved ones that do not have medical aid.
• Prepaid surgery options which avoid surprise costs
Consumers requiring a medical procedure or surgery can get complete peace of mind knowing that they pay a single, upfront cost that covers them in full.
2. Medical insurance products for urgent and emergency care situations
Consumers with no medical aid can save both time and money through products that provide immediate life-saving emergency care. These products cover medical treatment costs for accidents in a private hospital, while there are some providers that offer limited cover. There are other providers that offer more certainty by providing unlimited cover for hospital and ambulance treatment. Some options even include cash pay-outs to help with other expenses while hospitalised.
3. Gap cover products that increase medical aid benefits
Often times, medical aid alone is not enough to cover the full cost of specialist care and co-payments. Should clients with medical aid want to extend their benefits, they can take out comprehensive gap cover insurance that covers shortfalls not covered by medical aid options. This added cover typically include shortfall cover for in-hospital specialist costs, co-payments and deductibles and additional cancer cover. Some providers even extend benefits to cover out-of-hospital specialist shortfalls, maternity costs, emergency medical treatment as well as day-to-day costs when medical aid limits have been reached. Through this, individuals and families can protect themselves from unexpected medical expenses.
Teshlin Akaloo, managing director of NetcarePlus, reflects that, “As a leading private healthcare provider, Netcare has introduced solutions through NetcarePlus, that offer South Africans a more affordable option to get access to private healthcare. NetcarePlus offers a range of medical insurance and prepaid healthcare products which enables quality and affordable healthcare when clients need it the most.
“When the South African health sector is analysed, it is clear that to improve access to affordable healthcare, both the private and public sectors must work together. NetcarePlus is part of the solution, and we will continue to innovate and contribute to the healthcare needs of South Africans,” concluded Akaloo.
