FANews
FANews
RELATED CATEGORIES
Category Healthcare
SUB CATEGORIES General  |  HIV |  Medical Schemes | 

Groundbreaking new healthcare solution for SA labour market

01 November 2010 Universal Healthcare
Dr Johan Pretorius, Chief Executive Officer of healthcare funding group Universal Healthcare

Dr Johan Pretorius, Chief Executive Officer of healthcare funding group Universal Healthcare

The need to effectively include the economically active but medically uninsured into the healthcare funding fold has long been acknowledged throughout the healthcare industry. Despite this, a great deal of rhetoric and little tangible action means that not much has changed over the years.

According to Dr Johan Pretorius, Chief Executive Officer of healthcare funding group Universal Healthcare, the imminent, yet gradual implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) will unfortunately not address the immediate needs of the employed yet uninsured market. Furthermore, offering health and wellness solutions in the workplace can provide an employer with several benefits. It is with this in mind that Universal Healthcare is taking it upon themselves to change the status quo right now.

“Research has shown that both workers and employers can benefit from more accessible primary healthcare services. The advantages of providing occupational health and wellness benefits include greater productivity, higher levels of morale and motivation and reduced levels of absenteeism,” adds Dr Pretorius.

Universal Healthcare, a healthcare funding group with an impeccable track record spanning more than three decades, is introducing the WorkerPlan - a highly innovative new healthcare product.

“The Universal WorkerPlan is a specific brand of occupational health and wellness benefits that has been especially designed for the South African labour market to assist employers in keeping their workforce healthy and productive. At the same time it offers employees in the lower income bracket a healthcare support structure, the likes of which they are unlikely to have had access to before,” says Dr Pretorius.

“Early indications are that this product is going to fly,” he continues. “It is most unusual for a product to be sold before the brochures have even been printed. We mentioned the product to a prospective blue-chip client with a national presence operating in the retail space, and by the time the meeting was over, 700 workers were signed on to the programme.”

“This is a new experience, especially in a harsh economic climate. Without doubt there is a high demand for just such a product in the market. Right now, it is the most affordable and appropriate value add that any company can give to its workforce. Best of all - it makes economic sense. As this product is incurred by the company as an expense in the production of income, it is tax deductible. Furthermore, VAT can be claimed back from expenditure on this product,” he says.

The WorkerPlan is not registered as a medical scheme and therefore medical scheme rules and regulations do not apply. The product is offered through the Occupational Healthcare division of Universal Healthcare Services (Pty) and is exempt from the Medical Schemes Act. According to Dr Pretorius, a considerable amount of research was conducted into market requirements and the legal demarcation of medical schemes and insurance products in order to create a low-cost product with quality healthcare returns. Essentially, with Universal WorkerPlan the employer can make the healthcare Rand spent on employees go much further.

“There are three different Universal WorkerPlan options to choose from, each of which offers a selection of basic benefits that will truly make a difference to the health of employees,” explains Dr Pretorius. "Universal is able to offer these benefits at a far lower cost than any other healthcare product on the market because it provides access to occupational wellness and primary health services while avoiding the absorption of high hospital and specialist costs. Whether you require cover for workers on a corporate or domestic scale, Universal has an affordable solution for you.”

For as little as R117 per month the Universal WorkerPlan is providing primary health and occupational wellness services as part of employment benefits to previously excluded and disadvantaged employees.

Dr Pretorius points out that the introduction of the Universal WorkerPlan is making access to appropriate primary healthcare services for employees a reality for many South African employers. “Our most cost effective option, TruValue, provides cover for consultations, acute medicine including over-the-counter medicine, as well as diagnostic procedures such as x-rays and blood tests.”

“The second option available is TruHealth, which was developed with workers who operate equipment or drive vehicles in mind. The benefits on this option allow workers to undergo the necessary optometric examinations to ensure the safe use of machinery. Similarly, specified chronic health and dental events are also covered on this option, which entitles employees to all the TruValue benefits as well.”

“Finally, our third option, TruWellness, provides employees with all the above benefits and an HIV/AIDS benefit that includes voluntary counselling, testing, treatment and consultations, procedures and medicines. Not only does this protect the health and wellbeing of workers, it also safeguards any investments that have been made in the employee by the employer, such as training,” he says.

Universal Healthcare Services also offers a range of optional additional benefits through a licensed and registered insurance carrier, such as hospitalisation for accidental injuries and acute illness, emergency medical services, short and long-term disability benefits and dreaded disease and funeral cover. If they wish to, employers can choose from these additional benefits to customise whichever of the three WorkerPlan options they have chosen for their employees.

Dr Pretorius points out that it is not only the cost savings and benefit of choice that make the WorkerPlan so attractive. “Many business owners are looking to put all their employees under the same healthcare roof and with Universal it couldn’t be simpler.”

“You can have your executives on one of our registered medical aid schemes, administered by Universal Healthcare Administrators - an accredited medical scheme administrator to open and restricted medical schemes, and your workers on our WorkerPlan, offered through Universal Healthcare Services. This helps to streamline your employee healthcare benefit process. However, the choice is yours as everything we offer is modular. You can customise your healthcare benefit system in the way that best suits your business.”

Founded by a trio of healthcare industry experts - Dr Johan Pretorius, Chief Executive Officer; Catharina Sevillano-Barredo, Chief Financial Officer and Prof Jan van der Merwe, Chairman - Universal Healthcare has the skills and experience to deliver on its promise of effective, affordable healthcare for employees.

“Throughout our careers we have all shared the same vision of addressing South Africa’s healthcare needs and supplying a sustainable healthcare solution. As a newly revived healthcare funding group, Universal Healthcare is now perfectly positioned to realise this goal,” concludes Dr Pretorius.
Quick Polls

QUESTION

How do you help your clients to maintain perspective when they get overwhelmed by today’s doom and gloom headlines?

ANSWER

Focus on long-term goals
Highlight global innovation
Reinforce diversification
Still figuring it out
fanews magazine
FAnews February 2025 Get the latest issue of FAnews

This month's headlines

Unseen risks: insuring against the impact of AI gone wrong
Machine vs human: finding the balance
Is embedded insurance the end of traditional broker channels?
Client aspirations take centre stage as advisers rethink retirement planning
Maximise TFSA contributions before year-end
Subscribe now