What is Medical Aid?
Medical aid covers members’ healthcare costs such as hospitalization, treatments, and medicine.
Cheap Medical Aid For Pensioners In South Africa
There is no medical aid plan that offers you cheaper rates for being a senior citizen. If you do not have medical aid coverage from earlier in life, you may now have to pay a late joiner fee on top of your monthly medical aid contributions. However, most schemes are now offering low-cost medical aid plans for South Africans who earn under a certain threshold. Pensioners may qualify for these types of medical aid plans.
It is important to note that these plans, while affordable, may have restricted benefits. Usually, the members can only use designated network providers, which means only certain hospitals, doctors, and other services that fall within the plan’s approved network. It can be an inconvenience if there are no qualifying providers within the area. Pensioners may be further inconvenienced by the cost of traveling to a network provider.
Another way to keep medical aid affordable as a pensioner is to opt for a lower plan with the same medical scheme. Downgrading your medical aid at this stage of life may be the only option if you want to continue coverage. However, it is also the period of life when you will need more benefits and it is difficult to decide as to whether to change plans at this stage.
Switching to a hospital plan on your medical may be something to consider as most hospital medical aid plans (not hospital cash back plans) offer chronic cover as well, which is essential in the senior years. However, you need to be aware of the fact that a hospital medical aid plan will not cover your day-to-day medical expenses, like doctor’s consultations, acute medicines, and tests and investigations that are done on an outpatient basis.
Is there medical aid for pensioners in South Africa?
Medical Aid for Pensioners offers financial cover for health-related expenses specifically for those at the stage of retirement.
Medical Aid schemes in South Africa do not have an age restriction, but a fee does apply if you start your cover for the first time after the age of 35.
Which medical aid is the best for pensioners?
| Medical Aid | Offers Plans for SASSA Pensioners? | Sign Up |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Momentum Medical Aid | Yes | Sign Up |
| 2. FedHealth | Yes | Sign Up |
| 3. Discovery Health | Yes | Sign Up |
| 4. Bonitas | Yes | Sign Up |
How do I qualify for medical aid in South Africa?
Aside from your normal details, such as name, address, marital status, dependents, and age, you also need to provide information about your current and historical health records. On our sign-up form, you’ll find a few simple questions relating to specific health conditions, what medicine you take, if any, and whether you are planning admission to the hospital within the next year.
You will also have to state if you’ve had medical aid before. These are all standard questions for new members and may be similar to ones asked by other medical aid providers in South Africa. See our page on what you need to join for detailed information on the topic.
Additionally, the scheme can expect you to undergo a check-up before your application is accepted. See the following list of documents that you might also have to present, depending on the requirements of the specific scheme you want to join:
Proof of whether you’ve been a member of a medical scheme before may be requested.
Proof of your relationships with all dependants, such as marriage documents and birth certificates may be necessary.
Bank statements and copies of your South African ID can be required.