Overview
Its important for students to understand the workings of healthcare when they begin their academic careers, as there is no denying the need for dependable medical cover in the event of emergency illnesses or accidents. But it can be a real challenge to obtain student-friendly, budget-friendly insurance.
Dis-Chem Health’s variety of reasonably priced solutions are good matches for many student budgets, even though the company does not provide student-specific medical insurance policies. We discuss the importance of student health insurance and how Dis-Chem Health’s affordable plans could help students get the coverage they need without breaking their budget.
How to Choose the Best Medical Aid on a Student Budget
On a student budget, there are a number of important considerations when choosing a medical insurance plan. A summary of the key factors to keep in mind is as follows:
- ✅ First, you should determine what kind of health coverage you require. Keep in mind things like expected medical services, prescription drugs, and chronic diseases. Select a plan that addresses your most pressing needs while leaving out the luxuries you’re unlikely to use.
- ✅ Consider your financial limitations when searching for a plan. Think about all of the out-of-pocket expenses, including premiums and other monthly payments as well as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Make sure the amount of coverage you get is proportional to the premium cost.
- ✅ You should verify with the plan’s customer service department to see if the hospitals, doctors, and specialists you like are part of the network. One common way to reduce out-of-pocket costs is to use in-network providers.
- ✅ Review the plan’s coverage limitations and exceptions. Certain benefits may be subject to annual or lifetime caps in some plans, while others may not cover certain diseases or treatments at all. Verify that the plan addresses the services you expect to require.
- ✅ Research the plan’s prescription medication coverage in case you need to use prescription meds. Think about things like levels of coverage, co-payments, and brand-name vs. generic medication coverage.
- ✅ Find out how the plan handles medical emergencies. Verify that the strategy offers sufficient protection in case of unexpected crises.
- ✅ Vaccinations, screenings, and wellness examinations are examples of preventative care services, so it’s important to find a plan that covers these well. To keep yourself healthy and save money on major medical bills later on, it’s a smart idea to invest in preventative care.
- ✅ Assess the insurance company’s standing in terms of customer care and assistance. You can tell how reliable and quick an insurance is to respond to your claims and questions by reading reviews written by current and previous policyholders.
Dis-Chem Health Medical Aid Plans for Students
Dis-Chem Health offers 3 medical insurance plans, which range in price from R206 to R469 per month.
While these plans are not designed for students specifically, they present affordable options for those on a student budget.
MyHealth Core Plan
The MyHealth Core Plan caters to individuals seeking affordable medical insurance. At R469 a month, you may get entry-level coverage for a wide range of medical issues with the MyHealth Core plan, which is a Day-to-Day Cover policy. In addition to OTC and prescription medications, you can take advantage of private doctor visits, nursing, pharmacy-based care, dental, eye exams, glasses, and frames.
Price:
R469 per month (Adults)
R329 per month (Children)
Minimum eligible criteria:
Criteria include your income status and your age. This will be assessed upon your application for the scheme with a Dis-Chem Health broker.
Inclusions:
✅ Health screening
✅ Flu vaccination
✅ Covid-19 Tests
✅ Scripted medicine
✅ OTC medicine
✅ Chronic medicine
✅ HIV programme
✅ Dentistry
✅ Eye tests
✅ X-rays and scans
✅ Blood tests
✅ Maternity
Exclusions:
❌ Claims that fall within a waiting period.
❌ Claims for tests or medicines not included on the approved list of tests, procedures or Medicine List.
❌ Routine check-ups and examinations without any complaint or illness.
❌ Claims submitted after 120 days from the date of service.
❌ Cosmetic surgery or cosmetic procedures.
❌ Specialised dental procedures like crowns, bridges, dental implants, orthognathic surgery, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery, labial frenotomy, bone augmentations and bone or tissue regeneration.
❌ Rehabilitation, frail care, step-down or hospice services.
❌ Child immunisations except for flu vaccinations of children older than six months.
❌ Any Treatment related to infertility.
❌ Services provided by non-Prime Cure Network Healthcare Providers without Preauthorisation.
❌ Any services provided outside of South Africa.
❌ Claims or Benefits will not be paid for any incident, illness, or event that happens because of or related to the following:
- Intentional self-harm, like suicide.
- Having a blood alcohol content level that exceeds the legal limit.
- Using any kind of drug, legal or illegal, unless it was prescribed by a Healthcare Provider and taken as instructed.
- Not following the medical advice given by a Healthcare Provider.
MyHealth Plus Plan
For R649 a month, you may get the more extensive MyHealth Plus Plan, which offers you unlimited visits to general practitioners, dentists, and specialists. Health screenings, prescription drugs, primary care physician (PCP) visits to physicians in the Prime Cure network, virtual PCP consultations, specialists, wellness clinic visits, nurses, and virtual PCP visits are all covered.
Price:
R649 per month (Adults)
R439 per month (Children)
Minimum eligible criteria:
Criteria include your income status and your age. This will be assessed upon your application for the scheme with a Dis-Chem Health broker.
Inclusions:
✅ In-person doctor visits
✅ Virtual clinics
✅ Out-of-network doctor visits
✅ Clinic visits
✅ Health screening
✅ Flu vaccination
✅ Covid-19 tests
✅ Specialist visits
✅ Scripted medicine
✅ OTC medicine
✅ Chronic medicine
✅ HIV Programme
✅ Dentistry
✅ Out-of-network dentist
✅ Dentures
✅ Eye tests
✅ X-rays and scans
✅ Blood tests
✅ Maternity
Exclusions:
❌ Claims that fall within a waiting period.
❌ Claims for tests or medicines not included on the approved list of tests, procedures or Medicine List.
❌ Routine check-ups and examinations without any complaint or illness.
❌ Claims submitted after 120 days from the date of service.
❌ Cosmetic surgery or cosmetic procedures.
❌ Specialised dental procedures like crowns, bridges, dental implants, orthognathic surgery, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery, labial frenotomy, bone augmentations and bone or tissue regeneration.
❌ Rehabilitation, frail care, step-down or hospice services.
❌ Child immunisations except for flu vaccinations of children older than six months.
❌ Any Treatment related to infertility.
❌ Services provided by non-Prime Cure Network Healthcare Providers without Preauthorisation.
❌ Any services provided outside of South Africa.
❌ Claims or Benefits will not be paid for any incident, illness, or event that happens because of or related to the following:
- Intentional self-harm, like suicide.
- Having a blood alcohol content level that exceeds the legal limit.
- Using any kind of drug, legal or illegal, unless it was prescribed by a Healthcare Provider and taken as instructed.
- Not following the medical advice given by a Healthcare Provider.
Accident Cover
For as little as R206 per month for adults and R114 per month for children, Dis-Chem Health Accident Cover will cover you in the event of an unexpected medical emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke. Things like ambulance rides, emergency stabilization, private hospitalization after an accident, and emergency casualty visits are all part of the cover.
Price:
R151 per month (Adults)
R206 (Adult dependent)
R114 per month (Children)
Minimum eligible criteria:
Criteria include your income status and your age. This will be assessed upon your application for the scheme with a Dis-Chem Health broker.
Inclusions:
✅ Ambulance and stabilisation
✅ Emergency department visits
✅ Hospitalisation for heart attack or stroke
✅ Hospitalisation for accidents
Exclusions:
❌ Cosmetic surgery
❌ External prosthesis
❌ Rehabilitation, frail care or hospice services
❌ Step-down facilities
❌ All services obtained from a non-contracted provider where no pre-Authorisation was obtained for Treatment at a non-contracted provider
❌ Any criminal act or attempted criminal act
❌ Expenses incurred for non-Medical Emergency transport
❌ Transport expenses incurred in a vehicle other than an ambulance that is designed for the purposes of Medical Emergency transport
❌ Any act by an Insured Party that wilfully exposes the Insured Party to danger, except where such act is in order to save human life or prevent Accidental Harm
❌ Any services rendered outside of the borders of South Africa
❌ In the case of Accidental Harm, Benefits exclude any Treatment that is unrelated to the Accidental Harm
❌ Any Specialist or follow up visits and or Treatment will not be covered post discharge from casualty and or hospital;
❌ Any appliances, like wheelchairs, crutches, beds
Conclusion
Despite the absence of student-centric plans, Dis-Chem Health’s commitment to affordability and comprehensive coverage makes it a viable choice for students that need reliable healthcare protection. By carefully assessing their individual needs and budgetary constraints, students can leverage Dis-Chem Health’s offerings to secure the peace of mind that comes with knowing they have access to quality medical care when needed.
