South Africa has over 40 medical schemes that are open to the public and around 120 private medical schemes totalling around 7 million beneficiaries. The total annual contribution to medical schemes is around R30-billion (according to the Council for Medical Schemes – 2006).

Take into account that South Africa has a population of more than 47 million people! Less than 15% of SA citizens belong to a medical scheme. So the question is, how do you choose a medical scheme or hospital plan, a specific option of the scheme, which benefits to include or exclude? In this ever-changing environment, one needs the services and advice of an independent intermediary.

Someone who doesn’t only have the interests of a specific medical scheme at heart, but one who can guide you to ensure your needs is met. An organisation specialising in the healthcare industry should assist you with the following:

* Choosing the “most suitable” medical aid option in the market

* Investigating a number of medical schemes and options

* Providing pro-active advice on your present medical aid

* Assist you with claims and query resolution

Choosing the right medical package

In today’s climate belonging to a good medical aid scheme is a vital part of looking after one’s health. Medical aid forms a critical part of ensuring the health of the individual and his or her family.Here are some reasons:

Public vs. private medical care

* Firstly, high quality medical care at private hospitals and medical institutions can end up costing a massive sum of money.

* Yet given the state of the South African public healthcare system, using private medical care facilities is the only way to go.

* Having a medical aid plan means that you can rest assured knowing that your medical expenses will be covered in most cases.

* Joining a respected medical scheme ensurs that you’ll receive the medical treatment you need, when you need it!

The right medical scheme will have the right medical aid plan to give you access to quality medication, especially in the case of chronic or long-term illness. Choosing the right medical aid plan will also enable you to tailor a health insurance package to suit your individual needs — and the health insurance needs of your family!

Levels of medical cover Discovering the right medical scheme takes time, be sure to verify the level of medical cover on the medical aid plan you want, as some medical treatment charges are in excess of the standard prescribed levels. This becomes very important when one considers surgeons’ or other specialistmedical rates, for example.

Welcome to ezqoute one of South Africa’s leading medical aid comparison websites. ezquote provides you with competitive quotes for all medical aid packages. By entering your details into our secure on-line insurance quote system, ezquote will be able to search throughour panel of insurers to find the best quotes for you and one of our team members will be contact you within the hour. All of our insurance partners are treated equally and the quotes you receive will be based entirely on the information provided by you.