How much is medical Aid the cheapest? But reliable?

[openSource007]

I am about to start on my first job. The company says I need to take medical aid. I have never used any before. I need to know which one is affordable and how many people does it cover? I need it to cover my parents and younger sister who is 21 years old this year and is a university student. Thanks in advance.

 

[P924]

3 adult dependants - won't be cheap.

The thread title is painful to read.

 

[craiglotter]

The bad news is that there won't be any cheap medical options with three adults (two of which are probably elderly) on it. I'm with Discovery, but they're expensive so I won't suggest them to you necessarily.

 

[supersunbird]

So the company doesn't have a mandatory medical aid and you can choose anyone?

I'm on Bonitas Primary:

Main member - R1719pm
Adult dependant - R1345pm
Child dependant - R548pm

 

[psivius]

Why is it that companies can force you to take medical aid and other companies have mandatory medical aid?

 

[Randy_The_Squirrel]

By "reliable" you mean one of those that don't repudiate claims- Well, stay away from Discovery if you don't want that to happen.

Why is it that companies can force you to take medical aid and others have mandatory medical aid?

It is unenforceable, but they wangle it into the employment contract.
It is done to enable them to pay less tax, its not about you, its all about them.

 

[Pho3nix]

So the company doesn't have a mandatory medical aid and you can choose anyone?

I'm on Bonitas Primary:

Main member - R1719pm
Adult dependant - R1345pm
Child dependant - R548pm

5k alone on medical aid. Furk me.
This comprehensive? From next year I'll be paying R3k for comprehensive. Just me.

 

[McGuywer]

3 adult dependants - won't be cheap.

The thread title is painful to read.

Very.

 

[rrh]

It is unenforceable, but they wangle it into the employment contract.
It is done to enable them to pay less tax, its not about you, its all about them.

Not quite.

If you have medical aid cover you can afford to see a doctor when ill, i.e. your time off due to illness is minimised.

More importantly, if you don't have medical aid cover and something goes wrong (e.g. an accident), you may not be able to pay your medical bills. Under such circumstances you will most probably approach your company for a loan. Your having medical aid cover obviates the need for them declining such a personal loan.

OP: best confirm that you will be allowed to include your sister.

 

[maumau]

Feel sorry for OP.

His first job and has parents and sister depending on him

 

[WAslayer]

so when i recently changed jobs my new company did not pay my medical aid at all like my old company which covered me on discovery.. discovery being expensive and all i said to my wife, lets see what else is out there.. we wanted to have the same cover as we currently do on discovery but hopefully for less money.. and well, comparing discovery, momentum, bonitas, liberty and one or 2 lesser known ones there was but a measly 100bucks difference between them all with some slight variations on what they covered.. ended up sticking with discovery since been there for 6 years and know what goes for what..

that said, i wish you goodluck..

 

[diapason]

I am about to start on my first job. The company says I need to take medical aid. I have never used any before. I need to know which one is affordable and how many people does it cover? I need it to cover my parents and younger sister who is 21 years old this year and is a university student. Thanks in advance.

You need to be aware that if your parents have not previously been on a medical aid, they will also have Late Joiner Penalties the amount of which depends on the amount of time they have not been covered. If they have any pre-existing conditions, these will also not be covered for the first 12 months, in addition to a general 3 month waiting period for any other claims.

http://www.medicalaidcomparisons.co.za/Late-Joiner-Penalties.aspx

 

[diapason]

Why is it that companies can force you to take medical aid and other companies have mandatory medical aid?

Where a company insists that you belong to a particular medical aid it is because the medical aid, in such cases, will waive the waiting periods as they are acquiring an entire risk pool, the good risks as well as the bad.

 

[pjp]

There are lower contribution schemes in the market. Based on your gross income.
check https://peterpyburn.co.za/keycare.html

 

[Kerrits]

Where a company insists that you belong to a particular medical aid it is because the medical aid, in such cases, will waive the waiting periods as they are acquiring an entire risk pool, the good risks as well as the bad.

They also sometimes give employees better premiums, with the condition that the whole company joins the scheme.

OP, consider the discovery smart plan. It's the best value for money one for me (out of discovery's options)
~R1500 for hospital plan (co-pay when using out of network hospitals), no medical savings account, R70 for a network doctor's visit, and some meds are free when prescribed by said network doctor.

My recent doctors visit + antibiotics + some other sinus meds cost me R110, where it would normally have cost me R850. (450 doctor, 400 meds)

 

[3WA]

OP, if you're young and healthy, and the company rules allow, consider a hospitalisation-only plan. You have to pay for your GP visits yourself, but the plan will cover the more expensive hospital visits that could otherwise financially ruin you. Especially whne you're young, and never visit a GP anyway, comprehensive is a waste of money.

 

[SauRoNZA]

If your family never needed it before...why do they suddenly need it now just because you got a job that requires you to have it?

Probably the cheaper side of proper medical aid is the Discovery Delta plan.

Otherwise you can just get a hospital plan.


If you company wants to force you to get it...then they should really be able to provide the requirement and necessary information along with it.

 

[Kosmik]

They also sometimes give employees better premiums, with the condition that the whole company joins the scheme.

I asked this the other day, but it's not really true anymore, the employer acts more like a glorified broker. Well , at least with Discovery.