The older
you become, the more crucial it is to have a medical aid as you are more likely
to develop chronic health problems.
As you age, you may find that you have less
money and more medical expenses. Unfortunately, most seniors cannot financially
afford private medical care and the medical schemes have conditions for joining too
late.
Everybody,
including seniors, has access to government healthcare facilities in South
Africa; however, as the state of public healthcare facilities is declining,
more and more people are looking to medical aids to provide them the care they
need. Most people are even willing to sacrifice other expenses just to afford
the monthly premiums of either medical
aid plans or hospital plans.
Here are
the main reasons why you should join a medical aid scheme as early as you can:
Late Joiner Fee
Medical
aid schemes in South Africa are required to accept applicants regardless of
their age. Monthly contributions of applicants are all the same regardless of
age or pre-existing medical conditions. However, medical aid schemes are
entitled to charge any person, 35 years old or older, a fee for joining the scheme later.
This fee is automatically added to the joiner’s monthly premiums.
3 Month Waiting Period
A 3
months waiting period is a standard condition for any new member joining a
medical aid scheme. During this waiting period, a new member cannot claim for
any expenses. This applies to anyone, even those changing from one medical aid
to another.
12 Month Period
When
joining a new medical aid, any pre-existing health problem that you have will
not be covered for the first year. If you join a medical scheme when you are
older, you are more likely to develop a health issue that the medical aid won’t
immediately cover when you join. It is dangerous to get stuck in a situation
where you have no cover for chronic health problems.
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