Categories of options used in the survey

THE GTC survey’s categories of options are as follows (the number in brackets indicates the number of options rated):

• Entry level. These options generally provide in- and out-ofhospital benefits within defined networks and formularies (lists of medicines) and are aimed at lower-income earners, students and young workers. They allow beneficiaries to access certain private hospitals (except the “state” category), as well as practitioners who belong to networks. – Core (1) – Student (5) – Low-salary band – state (3) – Low-salary band (18) – Mid-salary band (18) • Hospital-only (32). These options provide in-hospital cover only, with the exception of certain chronic illnesses and prescribed minimum benefits, which are provided by all registered medical schemes.

• Saver (37). These options provide in-hospital benefits at various levels and, in addition, access to out-of-hospital benefits via an out-of-hospital benefit and/ or savings account.

• Saver plus (20). In addition to providing in-hospital benefits, these options have two distinct out-of-hospital funding accounts, occasionally separated by a selfpayment gap. The initial account will typically fund claims until it is exhausted. Thereafter, members will progress into the self-payment gap and be required to fund their own expenses until these reach a predetermined threshold, or they will immediately progress to the secondary account, payable from the risk benefit.

• Comprehensive (15). These plans typically have an unlimited above-threshhold benefit or an unlimited additional or secondary out-of-hospital benefit account or savings account. They commonly include a medical savings account, have a self-payment gap and an unlimited abovethreshhold benefit.

• Traditional plans (28). These older types of cover were not rated because of the variability of the benefits offered.