Bonitas Medical Fund is a medical aid scheme that was established in 1982, and prides itself on award-winning service, providing unbeatable value for money and on being the second-largest open medical aid scheme in South Africa. Bonitas provides numerous healthcare products, which are discussed below.
Bonitas offers 6 key types of medical aid, namely:
- BonComprehensive
- BonEssential
- BonSave
- Standard
- Primary
- BonCap
Bonitas structures their product offerings according to various levels of healthcare needs. This allows members to accurately determine what kind of product they need, based on their level of health and medical aid needs.
The four categories of healthcare needs are:
Major Medical
- Covers in hospital medical expenses and major medical events such as surgery
Chronic medication
- Covers medication for serious and chronic conditions (i.e. conditions that require medication on a continuous ongoing basis)
Supplementary
- Covers medical expenses incurred in or out of hospital
Out of hospital
- Covers out of hospital medical benefits (i.e. doctor’s visits etc)
In terms of Major Medical, being on the BonComprehensive would obviously provide you with the greatest amount of cover. The reimbursement rate is at 300% Bonitas rate, and your cover is unlimited. The BonSave would reimburse you at 150%, while the BonEssential at 100%. Both of these also provide unlimited cover, and cover you at any hospital (i.e. you do not need to go to a specific Bonitas-affiliated hospital to be covered).
In terms of Chronic Benefits, the more comprehensive your medical aid plan, the more conditions you are covered for. The BonComprehensive covers you for 54 conditions, and provides up to R10 000 per member. The BonEssential and BonSave, on the other hand, only cover you for 26 conditions, and impose stricter rules for your cover.
With regards to Out of Hospital Benefits, BonComprehensive members have the benefit of a medical savings account, which allows them to manage their own medical expenses (for expenses incurred out of hospital). There is the advantage of an insured threshold which provides peace of mind that you are always covered. The BonSave also offers a medical savings account, but without the safety net of the insured threshold.
For Standard and Primary it is recommended that you visit doctors on the Bonitas network, which would ensure that you don’t get charged at above Bonitas rates.
Choosing the right Bonitas healthcare product for you can be tricky – there are so many options across the healthcare needs and the 6 types of medical aid you can join up for. Remember to bear these things in mind when making your decision:
- How many people in your family require healthcare cover?
- Are any of these people chronically ill?
- Do you require top of the range cover to ensure peace of mind, or are you happy with a more basic type of cover, knowing that you can afford day-to-day medical expenses yourself?
- Do you require a medical aid that pays out at doctor’s rates and not at standard medical aid rates?
- How much can you afford to pay in terms of medical aid premiums each month?
Bonitas Healthcare products span across a wide range of needs and budgets – finding the right one for you is simply a matter of identifying what you need!