It is often disappointing for South Africans, particularly women, to discover that hospital plans do not cover fertility treatments. This applies to both of the different types of hospital plans – a medical aid or cash back plan. The reasons may differ but the bottom line is that a hospital plan does not include cover for what is deemed non-essential, similar to cosmetic surgery. Many people wanting to conceive view fertility treatments as essential medical procedures but hospital plans are there to cover its members for medical costs accrued due to illness, especially since it can result in death in some instances. Seeking fertility treatments to fall pregnant is your right but in South Africa unfortunately, it is only an option those who can afford it and not for every medical aid member.
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Maternity Benefits on Hospital Plans
The maternity benefits on a hospital plan is a consideration and concern for family members looking at having a child in the near future. But what hospital plan are you looking at? The term ‘hospital plan” in South Africa is vague. Are you talking about a medical aid hospital plan or a hospital cash back plan? Both are very different financial products and the nature of the maternity benefits on each type of hospital plan differs. It is imperative that you understand the differences in the maternity benefits as pregnancy and childbirth in a private hospital in South African can be very expensive.
Hospital Plan Medical Aid for Pregnancy and Childbirth
There is no medical aid in South Africa, whether full comprehensive cover or just a hospital plan, that covers a women who is already pregnant for the upcoming pregnancy and childbirth costs. Right up until 2007 and 2008, a few restricted medical aids would consider waiving this policy in certain instances. Unfortunately this is no longer the case and unless there is mitigating circumstances, pregnant women have to pay cash for their pregnancy and childbirth bills. Hospital plans may be cheaper and offer lesser cover but this does not mean that standard medical aid policies will change for these plans.