As a single adult your medical aid needs are different from those of your friends who are married and have a string of children.
You don’t see any need to pay for something that you don’t really need. And so you’re looking for an affordable medical aid plan that will cover you for the most expensive treatments that might come along.
Your thoughts about the medical aid issue may be as follows:
- No need for comprehensive cover for day-to-day medical expenses
- However, maybe something that would include dentistry
- The odd doctor’s visit can be self-funded
- If you need to have a big procedure done in hospital, this needs to be well-funded
- If you have high blood pressure and cholesterol, chronic medicine cover is a must
Pros of Being a Single Member on a Medical Aid
- Certain benefits might be covered “per family” and whether you are 1 or more person on the scheme, the cover remains the same
Cons of Being a Single Member on a Medical Aid
- There are generally no “cons” on being alone on a medical aid.
- With regards to premiums, for a bigger family it might work out “cheaper” as the secondary members will usually pay less than the main member (single person on the scheme)
Which Medical Aid Has the Best Offering for a Single Person?
This type of question is very “wide”. The best option for any person, whether single or a big family will always depend on the needs of the particular person or family.
What works for the one, does definitely not always work for the other!
When we look at the thoughts that went through the mind of our single person above, he or she would possibly look at one of the following schemes.
| Scheme/ Option |
Genesis Private | Bonitas Primary |
MomentumCustom |
| Hospital Cover |
Unlimited Any hospital |
R1 mil. limit Any hospital |
Unlimited Network Hospitals |
| Chronic Medicine Benefit |
26 PMBs | 26 PMBs | 26 PMBs |
| Dentistry | R25 000 basic dentistry (incl. R1 000 for crowns) |
Unlimited Basic Dentistry Subject to protocols |
1 Dentist consultation per year |
| Savings/ Day-to-day |
0 | R1500 (savings) | 0 |
| Premium | R1158 | R1274 | R1196 |
Practical Tips and Advice
Keep in mind that regardless of which medical aid scheme you choose, unless you look at a comprehensive medical aid there will be certain benefits that are not as “richly” covered.
- It’s always important to read through ALL the benefits, including co-payments, sub-limits and exclusions.
- If you’re unsure about a benefit or a definition, find out first before assuming you know what it means.
- If you’re using chronic medicine, it’s a good idea to find out if the scheme will actually cover your medicine, and if so, whether it’ll be covered in full.
- If you’re older than 35, PLEASE NOTE that a late joiner (premium) penalty might apply if you haven’t been on a medical aid continuously from age 35.
Should any of the options above appeal to you, please contact the schemes directly for more detailed information :
- www.bonitasmedicalfund.co.za or telephone: (0860) 002 108
- www.genesismedical.co.za or telephone: (0860)564 6669
- www.momentumhealth.co.za or telephone: (0860) 117 859
If you would like a medical aid advisor to assist you in your application process, feel free to contact us on nelda@medicalbenefits.co.za or call 021 975 8324.
