Admission into a private hospital is not by choice. A medical doctor has to admit a patient and the medical aid has to approve payment before the hospital will allow you admission. These days you will have to wait for an available bed at times in the hospital of your choice as the demand on private health facilities in South Africa continue to grow. Before you show up at a hospital, it is important that you understand how the hospital admission procedure works or you may be refused admission or even held liable for the hospital bills.
Combination Medical Aid and Hospital Cash Back Cover
Medical aid, be it a hospital plan or comprehensive cover, and a hospital cash back plan are two different financial products. As a medical aid member you are allowed to also have a hospital cash plan and vice versa. However, the purpose and benefits of each should not be confused. Neither product can replace the other and ideally you should have both forms of cover for maximum benefit. These two specific products are not combined into one and you will have to sign up for each separately. Medical aid cover can be purchased from a medical scheme while hospital cash back plans are available from insurance companies.
Age Limits (Minimum and Maximum) on Hospital Plans
Age limits are an important consideration for hospital plans because depending on what you may be looking at for cover, you may be too young or too old. It ultimately depends on the type of hospital plan you are looking at. In South Africa, the term hospital plan is used so frequently but very few people understand that it is an umbrella term which refers to different financial products, namely medical aid and a hospital cash back plan. Similarly the minimum and maximum age criteria and limits for cover varies according to each type of hospital plan. Here is a quick overview :
- Any person of any age can join a medical aid.
- A hospital cash back plan is only open to people under the age of 65 years.
How to Choose the Best Hospital Plan
Everybody wants the best product or service that they can get for the cheapest possible price and it is no different with a hospital plan. However, South African consumers have to be aware of a few points – the medical aid and insurance industry is heavily regulated and there is no best hospital plan that is significantly superior than others yet is less expensive. In other words you pay for what you get. Ultimately what is best for one person may not be so for another – it is a matter of individual needs and affordability. Therefore the term ‘best hospital plan’ is individualistic and any advertisement claiming to have the best product is misleading.