“

and can offer consumers good value for money,” Larkan says.

Discovery Health, the country’s largest open scheme, came tops in the macro ratings.

The options were further divided into network and non-network options (those that confine members to a network of providers versus those that let members freely choose their providers) and were rated according to three types of membership: single, couple (two adults) and family (two adults and two children).

The full survey, which is available at www.gtc.co.za, provides detailed scoring and cost analysis, which is then simplified by GTC’s “likelihood of support” rating of high, medium, or low, Larkan says. “This indicates the likelihood of us recommending a particular plan, given the scores.”

The macro and micro rankings combine to create GTC’s overall list of schemes ranked by “likelihood of support” (see table).

Larkan says: “The list reflects the overall best-scoring plans in our comparisons across all sectors. This is by no means a definitive or final rating, as ‘soft’ factors, such as existing servicing relationships, past experience, administration ability, and customer service, have not been taken into account.”

martin.hesse@inl.co.za