Bonitas Hospital Plans
If you cannot afford comprehensive medical aid, then you should look at Bonitas hospital plans for an essential product in your healthcare portfolio. Aptly, Bonitas offers the BonEssential Hospital Plan that costs below R1800 a month for individuals or a smidgen above R4500 monthly for a family of five or more. A hospital plan is a form of medical aid but without all the bells and whistles.
A Bonitas hospital plan is two-pronged.
Bonitas hospital plans offer basic cover for hospital procedures and treatments and are designed for people who are young and healthy. Or those who simply cannot afford the costs involved with a comprehensive medical aid plan. The beauty of a BonEssential Hospital Plan is that larger families only pay for up to three children. The rest of the children are covered free of charge!
BonEssential important facts
Unless otherwise stipulated, policyholders enjoy the unlimited
cover of up to 100% of Bonitas tariff rates. Members are personally responsible for paying in the differences between Bonitas tariff rates and amounts charged by the private medical sector. These differing amounts can be covered with a gap cover policy. Pay for a maximum of three children with the rest enjoying cover free of charge. Children’s rates apply to full-time students up to the age of 24 years.
Benefits with 100% cover
• Hospitals – unlimited
• Specialist and GP consultations (network doctors and fully covered)
• Unlimited blood tests and Xrays
• Unlimited use of paramedics such as biokineticists, dieticians, occupational therapists and physiotherapists
Hospital alternatives
The hospital plan pays R16 550 per family annually for using alternative facilities. Terminal care is unlimited and includes:
• Hospice/private nursing
• Home oxygen
• Pain management
• Psychologists
• Social workers
Capped benefits
• Cancer treatments R328 100 annually per family
• Hospice or step-down facilities R15 760 annually per family
• Mental health, including consultation and hospitalization, R30 680 annually per family
• MRI and CT scans R15,000 annually per family
• Physical rehabilitation R47 250 annually per family
• Take-home medicine R 360 per hospitalization
Unlimited benefits
Bonitas BonEssential Hospital Plan also includes some unlimited benefits. These are:
• Terminal care
• Organ transplants
• Kidney dialysis
• HIV/AIDS if registered on the HIV/AIDS program
Prescribed Medical Benefits PMBs
The diagnosis and treatment of the 270 PMBs are covered by the BonEssential Hospital Plan for both in-and-out-of-hospital events, according to stipulated protocols. Other medical conditions on the PMB list are covered as follows:
• External and internal prostheses
• Unlimited out-of-hospital chronic benefits
Co-payments
The co-payments that apply to this hospital plan include 22 prescribed conditions. These include:
• Colonoscopy
• Cystoscopy
• Functional nasal surgery
• Gastroscopy
• Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy
• Umbilical hernia repair
• Varicose vein surgery
• Back surgery including spinal fusion
• Joint replacements
Maternity Benefits
• Six antenatal consultations
• Two 2D ultrasound scans
• One amniocentesis
• Four post-natal consultations
Additional benefits
Other benefits include:
• 24/7 telephonic baby advice line (children under the age of three years)
• GP consultations for children between the ages of two to 12 years
• Contraceptives up to R1,200 from a Designated Service Provider
• Hearing screening for babies up to eight weeks old
• Congenital hypothyroidism screening for babies under one month of age
• A very generous international travel benefit of R5 million per beneficiary, or R10 million per family, per trip
Preventative Care benefits
• One HIV test per beneficiary
• One flu vaccine per beneficiary
• One Pap smear for females between the ages of 21 – 65 years, every three years
• One pneumococcal vaccine for members over 65 years, every five years
• One stool test for colon cancer, applicable to members between 50 – 75 years, every five years
Wellness Benefits
Bonitas hospital plans policyholders can select one of the following consultations, based on 100% of Bonitas tariff rate:
• GP
• Biokineticist
• Dietician
• Physiotherapist
• A stop smoking program limited to R860 per family
Monthly contributions
• Principal member R1,731
• Adult dependant R1,324
• Child dependant R507
Remember, you only pay for a maximum of three children with subsequent children enjoying free cover. Children’s rates apply to full-time students up to age 24 years.
Conclusion
An analysis of Bonitas BonEssential Hospital Plan clearly indicates that this form of health cover is worth every cent paid for monthly premiums. This hospital plan does cover important medical needs such as most maternity expenses and preventative care such as contraceptives, scans, mammograms, Pap smears, mental health issues, and terminal illnesses. It also covers 27 chronic conditions, offers a generous travel insurance benefit, and allows members to choose any hospital they like, subject to a 30% co-payment for admission. BonEssential is an extremely important asset, particularly for young individuals embarking on their career paths, or for young families working within restricted financial constraints. It is important to remember, however, that supplementing a hospital plan with an affordable Bonitas gap cover policy will eliminate any fear of having to find the cash for co-payments and the difference between the insurance tariff rate and charges imposed by the medical profession.
COMPLETE THIS FORM TO GET YOUR MEDICAL AID QUOTES!
NOTES:
Your medical aid quote will include options to suit your pocket. Please ensure that the cover you select is exactly what you need and that you understand exactly what insurance you are buying. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the medical aid or hospital cover you choose.