Rethinking Your Healthcare options

Rethinking Your Healthcare options for 2021

THE TOLL OF A PANDEMIC ON HEALTHCARE COSTS AND PROVISIONING.

Adapting to a new way of becoming more costly and what benefits will be availenabling and deliverpossibly more protracted. In able and the affordability ing quality healthcare for the case of critical illnesses of the premium attached to members during an ongoing such as cancer, a delay in these benefits,” says Jacqui. pandemic will be key in diagnosis and commence“The Medical Scheme Act the approach of medical ment of treatment greatly currently protects members schemes in 2021. impacts prognosis and surwithin the realm of Pre

According to Jacqui vival rates. The pandemic scribed Minimum Benefits Nel, Business Unit Head of will continue for months, (PMBs), which enforces Healthcare at Aon South and for this reason we cover for 270 diagnosis and Africa, the industry has strongly recommend that treatments of a defined list experienced a mixed bag of members do not neglect of chronic conditions and effects. One of the positive their preventative health emergency care, assuring developments of the panchecks during this time,” members of this cover. The demic and the subsequent says Jacqui. only precaution to take is to lockdown has been the Given the major financial confirm whether the cover industry’s ability to adapt to challenges facing confalls in the private or publicthe new normal by swiftly sumer households as a sector environment. Once embracing innovative diagresult of the lockdown, the that aspect is confirmed, a nostic platforms. “The use affordability of maintainmember can drill down to of virtual care consultations ing medical scheme cover the day-to-day care offered with doctors and nurses is another hurdle facing in a medical scheme option has increased, as did the medical scheme members. and the subsequent affordadoption of telemedicine,” The current economic chalability of it,” Jacqui explains. explains Jacqui. lenges are set to continue By the middle of October

However, one of the more well into 2021, and during most medical schemes concerning trends noted this time it is vital to ensure would have announced by the industry is a marked that access to quality their projected increases for decline of members going healthcare and cover are 2021, together with benefit for important preventative not compromised. changes and new options. care and screening testAs financial pressures “We strongly recommend ing, together with a sharp tighten, many medical that you speak to your decline in elective surgeries. scheme members are lookhealthcare broker to exam“Prevention is always better ing to change and downine your options in order for than cure, and the later a grade their benefit options you to make an informed patient is diagnosed with in a bid to save money. decision when it comes a serious illness or condi“Making the right decisions to finding an option that tion, the more complex the about the options selected suits your specific needs health implications become, within a medical scheme and your pocket,” Jacqui in addition to treatments starts by understanding concludes.