Sharkie 2 Posted May 23, 2017 Share The system is always designed to beat the consumer no matter how you look at it. The average person will always require medical insurance and other insurances because you just do not have the financial means to cover unforeseen expenses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 23, 2017 Share The system is always designed to beat the consumer no matter how you look at it. The average person will always require medical insurance and other insurances because you just do not have the financial means to cover unforeseen expenses Fair assumption that the average person will pay IN more in their lifetime than they will claim - else medical aids would go bust. That said - most people on this forum have a target on their back each time they get onto a bike ..... bumped by a car or a bad fall on a trail is a very real risk for each of us. Nothing worse than going to a government hospital after a spill ..... None of us should be without medical aid, hospital plan at the very least. and yet I wonder how many people would rather buy a bike on debt, rather than pay for medical aid .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cycling Addict Posted May 23, 2017 Share Can you only change Medical Aids or downgrade your scheme in December? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob_Lions Posted May 23, 2017 Share I would also like to know currently with medihelp on prime3 (as a family of three) and we pay around R5500 - what options would compare on momentum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooyan Posted May 23, 2017 Share Can you only change Medical Aids or downgrade your scheme in December? You can change between Medical Aid’s any time during the year. You can change between plans from the same provider on 1 January every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 23, 2017 Share Can you only change Medical Aids or downgrade your scheme in December?you can downgrade at any time. Some are tricky, for example if you're on a priority plan (disco) EVERY other plan is seen as an upgrade, due to the deductibles that the priority plan has.\ But in general - downgrade any time, upgrade only at year end or getting married to someone on a better plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 23, 2017 Share can switch providers at any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorrie Posted May 23, 2017 Share Okay. First, to answer your question re Momentum and whether it's "better" As with everything - it depends. What plan were you on, what plan are you changing to, what are your hospital providers (any / associated / state) and chronic providers (associated / any / state) - and - DO YOU HAVE GAP COVER?! If the answer to Gap is "no", then I'm gonna ask "why the feck not!?" as it is, in my opinion, a required product. Stratum is one of the better ones in my experience. Now - moving on. Momentum's core benefits aren't any "better" than Discovery's, per se. There are areas where (on a like-for-like basis) one is better than the other in certain area, but not by much. They're both IMMENSELY large schemes (Discovery through their own power, Momentum by managing theirs and many other schemes administration) and they therefore have excellent bargaining power and networks. I'd say they're pretty much equal ito benefit unless there's something you specifically want. Where Momentum really manages to eke ahead is when you start having a look at mixing and matching their associated / state providers for chronic and hospitalisation, thereby saving you cash. Discovery don't have that option, and it's either all hospitals, or the Delta network, and you can't choose to get your chronic only from the state. That's a major saving on the momentum side of things. ITO Claims & administration - I'd say Disco has the edge here. They're simply a more polished administrator, which means things get dealt with a bit faster and more smoothly. Yes, there are sometimes hiccups, but when those occur all you have to do is escalate teh query or walk in to one of their client contact centres and they sort it out chop chop. Momentum doesn't have that yet. Momentum certainly isn't BAD, Discovery is just that much better. ITO Multiply vs Vitality - swings and roundabouts. I'd say they're equal now, but historically Vitality has led the way. For discounts on shopping - Multiply. For discounts on food / gym / hotel & travel - Vitality purely down to the hotel & car hire and international flights. Multiply streaks ahead when paired with the Med Aid without any MSA, as then you can use HealthReturns to give you the same benefit as an MSA would have given you. Oh - Momentum's day-to-day coverage / screening benefit is great. Even without MSA you get certain screening benefits and docs visits and limited gynae checkups etc. So it's good. GET GAP COVER!Thanks for all the advise Myles, much appreciated. One last question, I got gap cover at Sirago, (don't know if they're good or not, fortunately haven't needed them yet) would it make sense, if I move over to Momentum to move the gap cover to momentum as well? Just make sense to me to have everything at one provider, should make claims easier or would it be better to have gap at another provider? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 23, 2017 Share Thanks for all the advise Myles, much appreciated. One last question, I got gap cover at Sirago, (don't know if they're good or not, fortunately haven't needed them yet) would it make sense, if I move over to Momentum to move the gap cover to momentum as well? Just make sense to me to have everything at one provider, should make claims easier or would it be better to have gap at another provider? ThanksNo. Keep the gap cover at the gap cover specialists. And it's a pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 23, 2017 Share Can you only change Medical Aids or downgrade your scheme in December? Between medical aids - "any time" of the year, subject to the exclusion policies. Between plans at a given medical aid - in December, for the new calendar year. BUT, there are some exceptions .... At Discovery you could upgrade to a more expensive plan during the year, IF there was a major change in medical status - this was a few years back, NOT sure if this still applies, nor what waiting periods might go with such a move. NOT meant as a quick fix for a surgery mid year ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorrie Posted May 23, 2017 Share I would also like to know currently with medihelp on prime3 (as a family of three) and we pay around R5500 - what options would compare on momentum?Currently I'm paying R4400 / month for a family of 5 ( Disco, coastal core without savings and vitality) the quote from Momentum is R3500/ month for their equivalent plan. Just to add, I don't have any chronic medicine, which make it cheaper, if you've got expensive chronic, and want to cover it through the med aid, momentum will be R4500/ month Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 23, 2017 Share No. Keep the gap cover at the gap cover specialists. And it's a pleasure. THAT is the key to insurance of all kinds - work with SPECIALISTS ! start with a DECENT broker ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 23, 2017 Share Currently I'm paying R4400 / month for a family of 5 ( Disco, coastal core without savings and vitality) the quote from Momentum is R3500/ month for their equivalent plan. Just to add, I don't have any chronic medicine, which make it cheaper, if you've got expensive chronic, and want to cover it through the med aid, momentum will be R4500/ month Chronic cover is a field of study on its own .... PMB - ALL medical aids MUST provide cover for the list of PMB chronic conditions .... some got clever and play with "formulas", other with funding models .... Ongoing fight between medical aids and the medical aid council as to this topic ... The fact that chronic costs are a substantial portion of medical aid companies illustrates just how big an issue this is .... The real costs vary drastically !! Generic meds for diabetis can cost as little as R60 per month. Compare this small expense with R 8 750 per month for some other chronic meds Granted the second condition is NOT part of the PMB list, but covered in full by Discovery after an ex-gracia application. Serious money, but it is the difference between a normal life or withering away into a wheel chair ..... We live in an era where meds can drastically improve quality of life - IF you can afford it, or if you choose the best medical aid for your needs. A decent medical aid broker guides you via a set of questions to find the best package for YOUR needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 23, 2017 Share BUT, there are some exceptions .... At Discovery you could upgrade to a more expensive plan during the year, IF there was a major change in medical status - this was a few years back, NOT sure if this still applies, nor what waiting periods might go with such a move. NOT meant as a quick fix for a surgery mid year !Not any more. Must have been more than 9 years ago cos I've been dealing with Disco for that long. First as a broker consultant and then as a broker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 23, 2017 Share Not any more. Must have been more than 9 years ago cos I've been dealing with Disco for that long. First as a broker consultant and then as a broker. Thanks for confirming. My first introduction to Discovery was in 1996. About 2000 or 2001 or employer moved all the staff over to Discovery. I was NOT happy !!! For a few years I had to pay my wifes chronic meds, which the previous company did cover ..... Finally got that issue sorted. Still with Discovery, and in no hurry to move. Since then I have been following the industry closely. For the last few years I only compare the plan costs of 9 different medical aids for a friend in the trade..... Just too many options to follow it all if you dont do this daily .... for those that commented on the premium increases, comparing Discovery and Momentum .... the attachment shows just how difficult such a comparison is !!! Take it a step further and look at the change in cover per plan and only then does it become "possible" to try and define the "real" increase ..... NO, do NOT try to make a choice based on package costs !!!!!!!!! Speak to a broker and get the "right" package for your needs !!! Buying an "expensive" plan means nothing if you dont need it, and a cheap plan will be VERY expensive if it does not provide the cover you need.medies verhoging 2017.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted May 23, 2017 Share Yeah. It's so much more than just the premium increase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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