Finding the right medical aids scheme for your family is a tough but important job. There are many options to choose from, each with their own unique sets of features and limitations. Find the right scheme and you have provided affordable, cost effective health care for your family. Choose the wrong one, though, and you may find yourself paying too much for a scheme that does not cover your family’s real medial issues.
• Getting quotes: Quotes are key to the process of comparing medical aids schemes. A quote will show you: o The expected cost of the scheme in terms of monthly rates. o What conditions and situations that are covered, and to what extent. o What conditions and situations are not covered, an equally important piece of information.
By examining the details of a medical scheme quote, you can determine if the product will do what you need, and if your budget can support it over the coming years.
• Visit the Web Sites: Almost every business today has a web site, and medical aids providers are no exception. By visiting the web site of each potential provider you will learn many useful things: o Company History: Most web sites will outline the history, objectives and mission statement of the provider. Look for firms whose values and stated purposes match what you want in a medical aids provider. o References, recognition and awards: Many sites will list people and organizations who will testify to their integrity and effectiveness. Be advised, this is only a starting point. Anyone can put words on a web site. But if verify the citations, and follow this up with a check of independent ratings site, you have a good chance of finding a firm that you would like to do business with. o Plans and products: A medical aids provider web site will list all of the schemes that they offer, along with requirements, conditions and options. They may even have a planning page that can help you select the right plan based on your family’s medial profile.
• Getting the quote: Each provider web page will be different, but somewhere in an easy to find location should be a link to getting quotations. By selecting this link, you will be taken to a new page that will begin the quotation process. This too will vary some from site to site, but should have the following elements: o A place to enter your basic scheme requirements. This can include things like:
Size of your family.
Ages of the family members.
The kind of coverage options that you are looking for.
o A place to enter vital medical information about your self and your family members. This can include:
A brief medical history.
Any known injuries, chronic conditions or disabilities that could affect the price of the scheme.
Any personal practices like smoking that could be an issue when it comes time to set a price on coverage.
It is important to be honest in your reporting of your family medical profile. Most of your answers will be confirmed prior to finalizing the scheme, so you won’t gain anything by hiding things during the quoting process.
Once you have submitted the information, the provider will review it and prepare a quote for your review.
By comparing these quotes, you can more easily select your provider and determine which plan to go with.