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South
African Medical Aid
Scheme
 Selfmed
Medical Aid Scheme is a registered, open South
African medical aid company that was established
in 1965 and formally registered on 19 November 1974. Being
an exceptionally stable medical aid provider, Selfmed's
reserves are well above the legal requirements. This independent
entity is controlled and managed by a Board comprising five
trustees, ensuring that our medical cover continues going
from strength to strength.
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What influences your decision to join a Medical Aid?
 Is it the add-ons, e.g. free gym membership and movie tickets, or is it the actual medical cover that you will be receiving when you need it most?
When you phone a call centre, do you want to deal with an administrator – that divides attention between members of several medical aids –
or do you want peace of mind that your medical aid will be there for you – tomorrow, the next day and as long as you need it?
If it is:
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real, sincere and secure medical cover,
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dedicated, personalised help with your medical needs,
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the security of belonging to a well established medical aid (more than 40 years in the business of helping our members), and
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service that will exceed all your expectations,
then your choice is simple:
SELFMED – OUR APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE MAKES US STAND OUT FROM THE REST!
Our value statement ensures you of:
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a SIMPLISTIC product range that caters for your most basic healthcare needs
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a SINCERE interest in your well-being promoted through an emphasis on personalised service
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the SECURITY that our solid financial position ensures, and
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unsurpassed SERVICE.
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Why get Medical Aid?
 Medical aid is like oxygen: it's not an issue until you
don't have it. Becoming ill with medical aid cover is taxing
enough; without it, illness can come as a devastating discovery.
Finding out why medical aid is necessary is but the first step. Choosing the right family
medical aid plan is the critical part.
Our Medical Aid Scheme is aimed at entrepreneurs, professionals
and selected companies, who require comprehensive medical
aid cover and financial peace of mind regarding the payment
of medical accounts. It offers several medical
aid plans, each with its own unique levels of medical
aid cover and features that satisfy the needs of both the
individual consumer as well as the corporate sponsor.
Selfmed takes pride in being an innovative medical
aid scheme. We use leading edge managed care initiatives,
such as pre-authorisation for all hospital admissions, which
assist in promoting the rational, cost-effective and appropriate
use of healthcare resources. In its effort to achieve this,
Selfmed recognises the need for sound relationships with
both its service providers, medical aid brokers and scheme
members.
Whilst small enough to ensure that medical aid members receive
the personalised, individual attention they deserve, our
medical aid scheme is still big enough to ensure members
have peace of mind about all their healthcare needs. Our
medical scheme is highly rated on the list of South
African medical aids.
Click for more information about our medical aid plans.
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What is affordable Medical Aid?
 Getting affordable medical aid is not necessarily the cheapest medical aid plan available on the market. Spending less money per month on your medical cover may well end up costing you more during periods of sickness or hospitalisation! Therefore, the wisest choice is to pick a medical aid plan that offers the right benefits and sufficient levels of hospitalisation cover - at an acceptable price!
It pays to have medical aid.
Medical aid contributions are partially tax deductible, effectively giving you the benefit of not having to spend large amounts of money on medical expenses and saving you some money! The South African Government is hoping to make medical aid as accessible as possible to the entire population, so medical aid will probably be subject to more tax breaks in the near future.
The benefits of hospital plans
Hospital plans are perfect for tight budgets. Although these don't make major provisions for day-to-day medical expenses, they usually feature sufficient hospital cover. Knowing that your medical aid covers major procedures and hospitalisation will give you great peace of mind - without breaking the bank. Speak to a health insurance broker or to one of your medical aid's consultants should you require any cover beyond that offered by a hospital plan, as ignoring your own medical cover requirements is not wise.
Contact a Selfmed medical aid consultant for advice on how to address your health insurance needs or to obtain a free medical aid quote. |
Medical Aid Tips »»
 Medical aid and health insurance schemes should be carefully investigated before a decision is made on which scheme and medical aid plan to use. Bear these hints and tips in mind when you're looking for the best medical aid to suit your healthcare needs; find out as much as you can about the medical aid scheme you're considering.
An educated consumer is a smart consumer
Ask as many questions as possible about which medical aid plans or policies are available to you. Also find out what your medical insurance requirements are, i.e. do you have family members requiring medical cover?
Are you young, fit and healthy and only in need of a basic hospital plan? Or do you have a medical condition such as diabetes or an allergy which will warrant medical insurance with chronic medication benefits?
Do not automatically opt for the cheapest South African medical aid plan, as you will probably be compromising your medical cover and hospital benefits.
Find out as much as you can about the scheme offering the medical insurance plan. Is the medical aid company well respected, do they pay out medical claims with speed and efficiency, and do they offer a reliable and efficient client service centre?
Find out more about how to compare medical aid plans and learn why
Unlimited Benefits are an important factor to consider when choosing
your plan.
Understanding medical aid rates
Nowadays, the NHRPL is the de facto reference price list. This list is used by healthcare practitioners and medical aids as a basis to calculate rates that are covered. Read more about rates & tariffs in the medical field and understand how they impact you.
Always read the small print
It is vital that you find out what the medical aid scheme will pay for, and what it won't. Will the medical aid plan you're considering cover all illnesses and hospitalisation surcharges? Will it be capped in terms of the maximum medical cover or a maximum benefit value?
Also find out how and under which circumstances you will be reimbursed for your visits to a doctor, prescriptions expenses or specialist medical consultations. Read the fine print and review your medical aid policy annually to ensure that it still provides sufficient medical cover to meet your health insurance needs.
Following these medical aid tips and hints will help you find the best medical aid plan to meet you and your family's medical aid requirements.
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Comparing Medical Aids
 Be sure to compare different medical schemes' plans before you sign up for medical aid. In South Africa, getting the right medical aid or health insurance is vital to one's continued good health, so make sure that your medical aid plan meets your individual needs.
Consider this: If you feel you’re not getting the right level of medical cover at the right price, it might be worth changing to a new medical aid provider.
What to look for when comparing medical aids
Compare a number of South African medical schemes in terms of credibility and size. Then request free medical aid quotes for the medical aid plans that would be most suited to your individual needs, or the needs of your family, should you have children or other dependants.
Take a critical look at the levels of medical cover, day-to-day limits on medical expenses, the conditions for claiming as well as the chronic benefits on offer. Should you get confused or overwhelmed, it may be a good idea to consult a medical aid broker.
Learn more about how medical schemes are funded.
Consult a medical aid broker
Brokers know the different medical aid plans on offer and should give you a good idea of which medical scheme and medical plan to join. Obtaining free comparative quotes from different medical schemes should not be too difficult.
Most of the big medical aid schemes can send you a free quote from their websites, but you can also call their call centres to discuss a suitable policy based on your individual needs. Essentially, finding the perfect medical aid plan starts with matching your needs with the most suitable levels of cover offered by a credible scheme.
Contact a Selfmed medical aid consultant to start comparing medical aid schemes.
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Legislation and Industry
MEDICAL SCHEMES ACT
NO. 131 OF 1998 - Click here to view
MEDICAL SCHEMES ACT 131 OF 1998 -
REGULATIONS
GNR.1262 of 20 October 1999: Regulations
Click here to view
CMS releases Annual Report 2007-2008
The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) released its Annual Report for 2007-08.
Click here to read more
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Medical and Health Related Links
 List of useful links to Medical and Healthcare related industries
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Medical Aid and Healthcare News
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