Healthcare in South Africa:
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in South Africa? You're at the right place...
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needs health insurance to
cover the
costs of healthcare in South Africa.
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Healthcare in South
Africa
An opportunity may have opened up for you to live and work in South Africa. As you
relocate, there will be many things you need to consider. You will need a place to stay, first of all.
You will need to commute to and from work. You will need to communicate with locals, get connected to
amenities, etc. One of the key things that you may easily overlook is your health. How will you get
treated should you fall ill or get seriously injured? More specifically, how will you pay for your
treatment?
If you had health insurance in your home country, you will need to find out if you will
be able to use it in South Africa. If that’s not the case, you will need to start shopping around for a
South African medical cover scheme. You will need to take all your healthcare needs into account as you
shop around. In and out-patient care should be adequately covered. Your cover should cater for chronic
ailments if you suffer from any, or are in an age group that is particularly vulnerable. Your health plan
should take care of dental, optical and ENT care. If you perceive a need for over-the-counter medicines,
it should pay for them. Sports-related injury should be covered if you are a sports enthusiast.
The place you will be stationed will also play a role in your access to healthcare.
Within urban centres, you will be easily able to find facilities and pharmacies. In the rural parts
access to such is not easy. Prepare by purchasing your medicines beforehand and traveling with them. You
could also get them from the nearest city or town.
Time will be a key component in your decision-making. Will you be relocating to South
Africa permanently? Or will you be working on a short-term contract? Remember most medical policies come
with a waiting period before they become active. If you will be working on, say, a one-year contract, it
will be wise to apply for membership at the earliest. In this way you will enjoy the cover for longer.
The urgency should be the same even if you’re moving to ZA permanently.
Preparing to join a medical aid scheme or hospital plan is very important. It’s hard to
predict when you’ll need medical attention. Unless you have a pre-existing condition that requires
regular hospital visits. Sudden hospitalisation is likely to find you without ready cash. You will need
to dig into your savings to pay hospital bills.
Healthcare in South
Africa is where costs are on the rise. They’re almost as
high as in the USA, UK and other developed countries. This is because the quality of care you will get
here is just as high. There are more than 200 healthcare facilities across the country. Highly trained
English-speaking professionals staff them. They are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment as well.
Some medical bills may even force you to borrow or fundraise. Joining a scheme in which you pay a regular
premium will be more affordable.
Payment for treatment with a medical scheme has two options. One is to pay for the
treatment and then seek reimbursement from you provider later. The other is to let the insurance company
pay for everything directly.
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