Health insurance is the perfect fit for millions of South Africans who cannot afford medical aid but who’d still like to benefit from quality private healthcare.
But, what is health insurance exactly?
Health insurance is a form of insurance coverage that pays for medical and surgical expenses incurred by the insured.
It is intended to protect individuals and families from high medical expenses by spreading the risk of paying for medical care across a large pool of people. Health insurance plans also typically include a network of health providers to help control costs and ensure that policyholders have access to quality care.
Some health insurance plans also provide additional benefits such as day-to-day cover, funeral cover and more.
Many South Africans use the term 'health insurance’ and 'medical aid’ interchangeably, resulting in many people making uninformed choices regarding their healthcare.
To fully understand health insurance, let’s look at how it differs from medical aid:
Health insurer - GetSavvi Health |
Medical aid - Unknown |
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Limited GP visits or depending on savings account balance |
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Limited optometry and dentistry benefits or depending on savings account balance |
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Covers injuries and accidents |
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No cover for specialists |
Covers specialists |
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May or may not cover Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) |
Covers PMBs |
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One premium for the whole family (up to 15 dependants) |
Premiums per member and beneficiary |
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No funeral cover |
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Offers emergency ambulance services |
May or may not offer Netcare 911 emergency services |
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Offers added services, including, Member Wellness Programme, WHISPA and a 24-hour Health Advisor |
Offers only medical cover |
Why is health insurance cheaper than medical aid?
Health insurance premiums are, in many cases, much cheaper than medical aid premiums.
The reason for this is that medical aids are required to pay costly procedures that fall under PMBs, as well as specialists, which then result in monthly costs being very high.
Because health insurance may or may not offer cover for PMBs and specialists, they’re able to keep their premiums much lower.
Who will benefit most from health insurance?
In South Africa only 15.8% of the population have access to or are able to afford medical aid.
This means that more than many millions out South African people depend on state facilities for their basic healthcare needs.
Insurance benefits are ideal for people who are only able to pay a smaller premium for primary healthcare services like GP visits, dentistry, access to medication and more.
Health insurance is also a great option for people who are covered by a medical aid but are not satisfied with their day-to-day (GP, dentistry and optometry) medical cover.
GetSavvi Health’s benefits provide more affordable healthcare.
GetSavvi Health’s benefits include:
- Unlimited doctors’ visits
- Basic and emergency dentistry
- Acute and chronic medication
- Accident Cover
- Maternity cover
- Emergency Services
- WHISPA
- Comprehensive Family Funeral Plan
- 24-hour health advisory services by qualified medical assistants
- Pharmacy Consultations
- Member Wellness Programme that offers counselling and advice that’s voluntary, private and confidential!
- Save on monthly grocery bills with Discount Coupons.
- One premium covers the whole family. Single member, you pay less
- Cover for seniors (60 years and older)
Join GetSavvi Health today!
GetSavvi Health has over 7 500 healthcare professionals in our network who can assist you in recovering faster when you’re unwell.
To sign up for our medical insurance, click here or send an email to apply@getsavvi.co.za.
We recommend speaking to a consultant for a detailed explanation of our benefits and plan options.