Overview
Maternity benefits within medical insurance schemes represent not just a line item on a policy document but an important aspect of health and well-being within families. These benefits serve as support and empowerment for expectant mothers, advocating for their health, dignity, and socio-economic stability.
Access to comprehensive prenatal, maternal, and postnatal care not only safeguards the health of mothers but also lays the foundation for the health and development of future generations.
What Do Maternity Benefits Include?
Maternity benefits provided by medical aid schemes and insurance providers in South Africa are designed to offer comprehensive support to expectant mothers throughout the various stages of pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care.
These benefits typically include a range of healthcare services and financial assistance aimed at supporting the well-being of both mother and child. Here’s a breakdown of what maternity benefits typically include:
Prenatal Care
Maternity benefits often cover the costs associated with routine prenatal check-ups, consultations with healthcare providers such as obstetricians, gynecologists, and midwives, as well as diagnostic tests and screenings.
Hospitalization for Childbirth
Medical aid schemes typically cover the expenses related to hospitalization for childbirth, including the costs of labour and delivery, hospital room fees, and medical procedures such as caesarean sections if necessary.
Postnatal Care
Maternity benefits extend beyond childbirth to encompass postnatal care for both mother and baby. This may include follow-up consultations with healthcare providers, breastfeeding support, infant care education, and screenings for postpartum depression or other health issues.
Neonatal Care
In cases where newborns require medical attention or specialized care, maternity benefits may cover the costs associated with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays, medical treatments, and procedures to ensure the health and well-being of the newborn.
Prescribed Medication
Maternity benefits often include coverage for prescribed medication related to pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care. This may include medications to manage pregnancy-related conditions such as gestational diabetes or hypertension, as well as pain relief medications during labour and recovery.
Maternity Wear and Equipment
Some medical aid schemes may provide additional benefits such as coverage for maternity wear, breast pumps, and other essential equipment needed during pregnancy and early motherhood.
Antenatal Classes
Certain medical aid schemes may offer coverage for antenatal classes or educational programs designed to prepare expectant parents for childbirth, breastfeeding, infant care, and parenting skills.
Dis-Chem Health Plans with Maternity Benefits
Below are the medical insurance plans from Dis-Chem Health that include maternity benefits:
- 🩺 MyHealth Core
- 🩺 MyHealth Plus
- 🩺 Gap Base
MyHealth Core
Maternity benefits included:
- 2 x 2D sonar scans per pregnancy per insured person, performed by a network provider
Price per month:
- 💵 Adults: R469 per month
- 💵 Children: R329 per month
Minimum eligible criteria:
- You will need to supply documentation to prove that you meet specific income and employment criteria
How to activate maternity benefits:
- You will need pre-authorisation to access the Maternity Benefit
- Once you have selected your Network GP or Gynaecologist you or the provider should contact the call centre and request to speak to a case manager for pre-authorisation.
MyHealth Plus
Maternity benefits included:
- 2 x 2D sonar scans per pregnancy per insured person, given by a network provider
Price per month:
- 💵 Adults: R649 per month
- 💵 Children: R439 per month
Minimum eligible criteria:
- You will have to supply documentation to show that you are eligible by meeting specific income and employment requirements
How to activate maternity benefits:
- You will require pre-authorisation in order to activate the Maternity Benefit
- Once you have chosen the Network GP or Gynaecologist you or the provider should get in contact with the call centre and ask to speak to a case manager in order to initiate pre-authorisation.
Gap Base
Maternity benefits included:
- Covers the tariff shortfall on childbirth. This is limited to an additional (500%) of the medical scheme tariff
Price per month:
- 💵 Adults: R141 – R176
- 💵 Children: R20 – R29
Minimum eligible criteria:
- You will need to provide proof that you meet certain employment and income standards in order to demonstrate your eligibility.
How to activate maternity benefits:
- Pre-authorization is necessary in order to activate the Maternity Benefit.
Pre-authorization can be started by you or the provider contacting the call centre and requesting to talk with a case manager after selecting the Network GP or Gynaecologist.
Conclusion
Maternity benefits offered by Dis-Chem Health stand as a testament to their commitment to supporting the health and well-being of expectant mothers and their families.
