FRIDAY THREAD: Discovery or Momentum Medical Aid

[MORNE]

snip

 

They all do this...and why not all packages are the same....even at discovery. Your bro knew before hand where he could go and where not unfortunately. It sucks but thats the way it works unfortunately

 

5k is ±premium for 3 people at any medical aid too...probably why you can also go to any hospital.

 

just saying

Edited August 2, 2019 by morneS555

[MORNE]

also...if you dont want any excesses you need gap cover. Stratum is widely considered the best....why we need fn cover to cover medical aid shortcomings ....F knows. But TIA right?

 

saying that...we have not paid medical aid/doctors a cent in 10 years. if the medical aid doesn't cover it...the gap cover does.

Edited August 2, 2019 by morneS555

[Chingy182]

And as he said, cheaper is not always better..... there are benefits to having different medical aids... i often use a friends momentum benefits if they are not using them

 

Disco, I pretty much max out the benefits!

I see what you are getting at, but the idea is for one of us to save a chunk of monthly salary by becoming a dependent of the other's M.A

 

My comment of "cheaper isn't always better" was kinda my cheeky way of suggesting that just because my Momentum was the cheaper option that it doesn't have to be the preferred choice  for us 

 

I told her though if she really prefers Vitality Rewards program then she must go for a cheap Discovery life insurance policy for R100 per month and still keep her Vitality, but then atleast save about R1000 per month on her M.A contribution

[Chingy182]

We use Bonitas Hospital Plan, and it covers just about everything I have thrown at it, including a few visits to ER, a couple ops, the birth of my daughter via c-section and all the usual GP, dentists, pead's etc.

 

Our excess contributions for all the above is not more than R10k over the last 10 years.

 

For the 3 of us we pay around 5k per month.

 

I have not been told I can't go to a specific hospital yet. 

 

My boet on the other hand is with Discovery, and when his laaitie hurt himself and needed stitches, he went to Cape Gate Medi Clinic as it's closest to where he live (around 5km). They turned him away, and told him to go to Panorama instead (about 20km away), or else he could pay the R7500.00 upfront to be helped asap. He paid.

 

I have had a few crashes while out riding, and have frequented Blaauwberg NetCare, Panorama Medi Clinic, Cape Gate Medi Clinic, [edit - Durbanville Medi Clinic] and some day hospital by Century City. I was accepted at all of them, and paid not one cent extra.

 

Me personally? I would not touch Discovery.

Bonitas is a fantastic medial aid and I have never heard of anyone complaining about them.

 

You also have access to FREE 3-6 weeks back and neck rehabilitation on there.

[Chingy182]

also...if you dont want any excesses you need gap cover. Stratum is widely considered the best....why we need fn cover to cover medical aid shortcomings ....F knows. But TIA right?

 

saying that...we have not paid medical aid/doctors a cent in 10 years. if the medical aid doesn't cover it...the gap cover does.

Gap cover is sorted at least.

[Spoke101]

Bonitas is a fantastic medial aid and I have never heard of anyone complaining about them.

 

You also have access to FREE 3-6 weeks back and neck rehabilitation on there.

 

I'm also on Bonitas and have been extremely happy. I'm not one to visit the doctor regularly but when a proper job coming off the bike they pay out for all my emergency clavicle repairs of which there have been many.  

[ChrisF]

That time of the year ....

 

So let's stir the pot a bit .....

 

 

Momentum was the first to publish their 2021 rates .... about 3,9% increase

 

Profmed has announced their new rates .... not sure of the exact percentage increase

 

Fedhealth .... heard they are talking in the order of 9% increase !!  Waiting to get their documents to check

 

 

Discovery health .... premium freeze until June 2021 .... then a possible 3 to 4% increase for the rest of the year.

 

 

Can only get interesting to see how the rest of the industry reacts ....

[GhostSixFour]

What an apt time for this thread to pop up I find myself looking for a new medical aid - which is most recommended at the moment? Currently the leading option is BestMed their Pace 1 option.

[MORNE]

not that I ever need a reason to bite...but i will

 

All these numbers show is that Fedhealth had the most paranoid or covid positive tested clients in 2020 and they need to recover those costs. Discovery the least.     

 

edit: font

Edited September 30, 2020 by morneS555

[ABrooks]

We were in the same boat a month or two back. we decided to go with Discovery, they are a bit more expensive than Momentum, but our closest hospitals are network hospitals and chronic medication and treatments for Discovery is at their Network hospitals where Momentum is state. We are not on any chronic medication now, but who knows when one of us develops something that requires chronic medication. 

[Eddy Gordo]

Has anyone considered starting the own medical savings?

Take out a hospital plan and then put the balance of the monthly payment into a savings account for example. 

When visiting doctors etc then its a cash upfront payment. At the end of the year your savings dont fall away, and instead you have a lump sum, if you didnt use it all during the year?

I know there are some hospital plans where chronic meds are included.(last time I checked, might have changed) However this idea of saving my monthly payments is extremely appealing to me. I have to do some more research in regards to all this. However it has been a thought for a year or so. This year my wife is starting to see the rainbow in my idea.

[MORNE]

Has anyone considered starting the own medical savings?

Take out a hospital plan and then put the balance of the monthly payment into a savings account for example.

When visiting doctors etc then its a cash upfront payment. At the end of the year your savings dont fall away, and instead you have a lump sum, if you didnt use it all during the year?

I know there are some hospital plans where chronic meds are included.(last time I checked, might have changed) However this idea of saving my monthly payments is extremely appealing to me. I have to do some more research in regards to all this. However it has been a thought for a year or so. This year my wife is starting to see the rainbow in my idea.

The problem is the specialists and their fees. Even on a medical aid with gap cover...some of their fees will still have you paying in a percentage. And the moment you need ones like pathologistS or anesthesiologists in an emergency scenario...you better have a few bucks in that savings account lol. I had a scenario like this in my early 20s...luckily that was on my mothers medical aid still Since i was a student, but she stil had to pay in nearly R80k in the end....and she was always on the most expensive packages due to her chronic blood clotting issues.

I think what you ate suggesting makes financial sense If you are young and healthy...i wouldn't risk it over 35 or when the possibility is there to fall pregnant for instance.

[MORNE]

^ PS...had a friend in high school who’s dad had a hart attack/triple bypass. They did not have medical aid....and a hospital bill of a cool R1mil back then. It ruined them financially.

[Chingy182]

That time of the year ....

 

So let's stir the pot a bit .....

 

 

Momentum was the first to publish their 2021 rates .... about 3,9% increase

 

Profmed has announced their new rates .... not sure of the exact percentage increase

 

Fedhealth .... heard they are talking in the order of 9% increase !!  Waiting to get their documents to check

 

 

Discovery health .... premium freeze until June 2021 .... then a possible 3 to 4% increase for the rest of the year.

 

 

Can only get interesting to see how the rest of the industry reacts ....

Momentum have also adjusted their discount on the Myriad policies.

 

Previously you could have green healthy heart and 16 active days for 60% discount on Myriad.

 

Now you will need a Level 5 fitness assessment score, thus eliminating a few of us 

[Eddy Gordo]

The problem is the specialists and their fees. Even on a medical aid with gap cover...some of their fees will still have you paying in a percentage. And the moment you need ones like pathologistS or anesthesiologists in an emergency scenario...you better have a few bucks in that savings account lol. I had a scenario like this in my early 20s...luckily that was on my mothers medical aid still Since i was a student, but she stil had to pay in nearly R80k in the end....and she was always on the most expensive packages due to her chronic blood clotting issues.

I think what you ate suggesting makes financial sense If you are young and healthy...i wouldn't risk it over 35 or when the possibility is there to fall pregnant for instance.

The smart series is one of the options I was/am looking at. Will have to dig for the others, I think medihelp, genesis, and one or tow others I looked. Will have to revisit again as I see there some significant changes.

[ChrisF]

We were in the same boat a month or two back. we decided to go with Discovery, they are a bit more expensive than Momentum, but our closest hospitals are network hospitals and chronic medication and treatments for Discovery is at their Network hospitals where Momentum is state. We are not on any chronic medication now, but who knows when one of us develops something that requires chronic medication. 

 

Just a thought ...... speak to your medical aid broker about the best plan for your CURRENT needs.  Each year you can move up or down the options of your medical aid without incurring penalties, typically this happens at the end of the year.

 

 

Also worth noting that MANY chronic conditions are covered under the PMB list which all medical aids must cover.  Granted many, even Discovery, has some fine print on this.  From 2020 You will be using generic chronic meds for a long list of conditions, OR have a co-payment if you elect to use some other brand ,,,,  Similar fine print applies to most medical aids, so CHECK these details with your broker if this is a potential issue.  Then again, each year the fine print is adjusted ....