Think twice before exiting
Cash-strapped South Africans warned to carefully consider their healthcare options
THE ANNOUNCEMENT by several of the largest medical schemes of above-inflation increases for 2019 has left many cash-strapped South Africans considering their options when it comes to insuring their health.
One of the key contributors is the rise in people suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease.
According to the World Health Organisation, 71 percent of all deaths are caused by NCDs. Although this puts pressure on health budgets the world over, it is lower- and middle-income countries such as South Africa that bear the brunt of this burden, because of people living longer and the increase in urbanisation and industrialisation.
As public health budgets are squeezed, so do the resources that should be allocated to preventing and treating these diseases before they become life-threatening, often leaving patients without the care they need.
Statstics SA’s General Household Survey estimates that only 17 in 100 South Africans have medical insurance affording them access to private health care. This means that by far the majority of South Africans are dependent on an over-burdened state sector for their healthcare needs.
Vera Nagtegaal, the executive head of Hippo.co.za, said the recently released White Paper relating to the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme provided the promise of a health system based on primary and preventative care where access to quality services will be free at the point of service. “Although the NHI provides hope for future access to affordable, quality healthcare, the system is only expected to become a reality in 2022 or beyond. In the meanwhile, it is important to ensure that you and your family have access to primary and preventative care,” she said.
The Council for Medical Schemes’ latest annual report shows a decrease in the number of dependent members on open medical schemes. This may mean that where a family’s budget does not allow for the entire family to be covered by medical scheme, they are electing for just the main member to remain on the scheme.
Nagtegaal cautioned those who are considering opting out of their medical insurance to think twice about their decision and to rather consider other, lower cost alternatives that will still provide access to private healthcare. “Buying down to a lower-cost option within a medical scheme is one solution. Apart from providing cover for accidents and illnesses requiring hospitalisation, these options must, by law, also provide benefits for 25 of the most common chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease,” she said. Medical insurance products provide yet another alternative. They are often less expensive than medical schemes and mostly provide cover for day-today healthcare needs, such as GP visits, basic dentistry and optometry.
“Although most medical insurance products offer limited hospital cover, they could be a good alternative for accessing day-to-day cover in the private sector, depending on the cover you choose,” Nagtegaal said.