{"id":9332,"date":"2023-11-29T12:33:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T10:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/?page_id=9332"},"modified":"2023-11-30T04:24:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T02:24:54","slug":"medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Difference Between Medical Aid and Medical Insurance"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"9332\" class=\"elementor elementor-9332\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-496a31b8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"496a31b8\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6b2900ea ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"6b2900ea\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df23d63 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"df23d63\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-the-Difference-Between-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance.gif\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-12177\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-430ecf02 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"430ecf02\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What Is the Difference Between Medical Aid and Medical Insurance<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-34b776d4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"34b776d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>The\u00a0<strong>Difference Between Medical Aid and Medical Insurance in South Africa revealed<\/strong>.<\/p><p>We <strong>tested<\/strong> them side by side and <strong>verified<\/strong> medical aids and medical insurance.<\/p><p>This is a <strong>complete<\/strong> guide to the <strong>difference<\/strong> between <strong>medical aid<\/strong> and <strong>medical insurance.<\/strong><\/p><p>In this in-depth guide you\u2019ll learn:<\/p><ul><li>What is a <strong>Medical Aid?<\/strong><\/li><li><a title=\"What is Medical Insurance \/ health insurance\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-insurance\/\">What is <strong>Medical Insurance?<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li>What is the difference between <strong>health insurance<\/strong> and <strong>medical aid<\/strong>?<\/li><li>What is the best medical aid <strong>insurance<\/strong> in South Africa?<\/li><li>How does <strong>medical insurance<\/strong> work?<\/li><li>Why do you need <strong>medical aid<\/strong> or <strong>medical insurance<\/strong> in South Africa?<\/li><\/ul><p>So if you\u2019re ready to go \u201call in\u201d with the <strong>difference between medical insurance and medical aid in South Africa<\/strong>, this guide is for you.<\/p><p>Let\u2019s dive right in\u2026<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-23fcbe0a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"23fcbe0a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5f208389 ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"5f208389\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f1681f6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5f1681f6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Medical Aid VS Medical Insurance Summary<\/h3><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><ol class=\"elementor-toc__list-wrapper\"><li class=\"elementor-toc__list-item\"><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-1\">\u2705\u00a0 What Is a Medical Aid?<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"elementor-toc__list-item\"><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-1\">\u2705 \u00a0<\/a><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-2\">How Medical Aids Work<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"elementor-toc__list-item\"><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-1\">\u2705\u00a0 <\/a><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-3\">What is Medical Insurance?<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"elementor-toc__list-item\"><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-4\">How Medical Insurance Works<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"elementor-toc__list-item\"><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-5\">A Comparison of Medical Aid and Medical Insurance<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class=\"elementor-toc__list-item\"><div class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper\"><a class=\"elementor-toc__list-item-text elementor-toc__top-level\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-vs-medical-insurance\/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-11\">FAQs<\/a><\/div><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-24c0236b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"24c0236b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-19597f37 ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"19597f37\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5aa1095e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5aa1095e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What Is a Medical Aid?<\/h2><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9340 size-full\" title=\"What Is a Medical Aid?\" src=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Is-a-Medical-Aid-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"What Is a Medical Aid?\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Is-a-Medical-Aid-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Is-a-Medical-Aid-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Is-a-Medical-Aid-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Is-a-Medical-Aid-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Is-a-Medical-Aid-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-Is-a-Medical-Aid-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Members of medical aid in South Africa are offered financial protection against the cost of their future medical care in exchange for a regular contribution.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 These payments are made to the medical scheme, where they are accumulated and protected as a pool. These endeavours are run on a not-for-profit basis, rather than a commercial basis.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8175520 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"8175520\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-30868239 ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"30868239\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3031dd74 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3031dd74\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>How Medical Aids Work<\/h2><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9343 size-full\" title=\"How Medical Aids Work\" src=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Aids-Work-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"How Medical Aids Work\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Aids-Work-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Aids-Work-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Aids-Work-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Aids-Work-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Aids-Work-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Aids-Work-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 The most important features of <a title=\"10 Best Medical Aid Schemes In South Africa\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/best-medical-aid-schemes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">medical schemes<\/a> are that applicants are guaranteed to be accepted when they join, even if underwriting is used as required by the MSA, and that medical schemes pay the member&#8217;s actual medical costs.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 If you are hospitalised, your medical scheme will pay your hospital bills directly to the hospital, specialist, anesthesiologist, and so on.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Medical aids must charge the same premium to each member for the same plan. For example, a member who is 28 years old and healthy will pay the same amount as a member who is 55 years old and needs to take medicine every day.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Most medical conditions and treatments are covered by medical schemes. They are also required to provide certain minimum benefits for a wide range of conditions, life-threatening emergencies, and a list of 26 chronic conditions.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 They accept people of any age, so there is no maximum age to join. However, <a title=\"Late Joiner Penalties\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/late-joiner-penalties\/\">if you join a medical scheme for the first time after you turn 35, you will have to pay a higher premium.<\/a><\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 The premiums for medical aid go up once a year, at the end of each year.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-472b683c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"472b683c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-55ff42e8 ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"55ff42e8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-710682ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"710682ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is Medical Insurance?<\/h2><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9347 size-full\" title=\"What is Medical Insurance?\" src=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-Medical-Insurance-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"What is Medical Insurance?\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-Medical-Insurance-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-Medical-Insurance-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-Medical-Insurance-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-Medical-Insurance-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-Medical-Insurance-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/What-is-Medical-Insurance-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 In South Africa, the term &#8220;medical insurance&#8221; refers to health insurance policies that pay a daily cash-back or payment per covered event to the client at a predefined set amount for each day that the client spends in the hospital.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 There is a maximum amount that may be paid out for each event, as well as a maximum limit to the amount that can be paid out annually.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 The\u00a0<a title=\"5 Best Medical Insurance for International Travel\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-insurance\/insurance-for-international-travel\/\">5 Best Medical Insurance for International Travel in South Africa revealed.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3695e40d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"3695e40d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-462e19af ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"462e19af\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29939ef6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29939ef6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>How Medical Insurance Works<\/h2><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9348 size-full\" title=\"How Medical Insurance Works\" src=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Insurance-Works-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"How Medical Insurance Works\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Insurance-Works-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Insurance-Works-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Insurance-Works-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Insurance-Works-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Insurance-Works-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/How-Medical-Insurance-Works-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Health insurance pays per insured event.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 After a hospital stay, these policies pay out a set amount. The specified benefit has nothing to do with the actual cost of medical care, since it is meant to cover costs like loss of income.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 This means that medical insurance companies don&#8217;t pay the hospital based on how much care you needed. Instead, they pay a set amount based on the plan you chose.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Medical insurance is sold by companies that want to make money. They use underwriting and actuarial knowledge to predict how many claims they will get in the future. They don&#8217;t have to take everyone who applies, and they can exclude certain medical conditions. Also, they don&#8217;t have to pay the insured amount, no matter how much the actual cost was.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Health insurance premiums are different for each client because of factors like their age, the number of people in their family, and any chronic or other medical conditions they already have.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Health insurance covers customers for either a certain amount of money per day or a certain amount of money per hospital event and per year.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 As with all types of insurance, your medical insurance premiums can go up when you make a claim, which can happen at any time of the year.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Having both is good in many ways. Medical aid makes sure that you are taken care of if you need to go to the hospital, have a long-term illness that requires minimum benefits, or need day-to-day care. But medical insurance makes sure you get money if you end up in the hospital and can&#8217;t work or make money. It also pays for other costs that may come up while you are in the hospital.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 It&#8217;s like any other kind of insurance: you hope you&#8217;ll never need it, but if you do, it can be very helpful.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 The\u00a0<a title=\"10 Must-know Medical Aid Benefits\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/must-know-medical-aid-benefits\/\">10 Must-Know Medical Aid Benefits in South Africa revealed<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3da45b48 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"3da45b48\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-163b6dec ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"163b6dec\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3103d197 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3103d197\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>A Comparison of Medical Aid and Medical Insurance<\/h2><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9355 size-full\" title=\"A Comparison of Medical Aid and Medical Insurance\" src=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Comparison of Medical Aid and Medical Insurance\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/A-Comparison-of-Medical-Aid-and-Medical-Insurance-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p><h3>Different Objectives<\/h3><p>\ud83d\udc49 A medical aid &#8216;s primary objective is to provide members with coverage for the costs associated with necessary medical treatment.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Coverage is based on the benefit structure of the medical aid plan, the scheme rules, and the scheme tariff.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Most of the time, medical aids negotiate prices ahead of time with certain health care providers. Because of this, you may be forced to use GPs, specialists, and hospitals that are part of the network for the scheme.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 The benefits you can get match the amount you pay each month. They decide which treatments, conditions, and medicines the scheme will pay for in full.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Health insurance, on the other hand, is meant to ensure that you receive a lump sum when you need money for medical expenses. This amount doesn&#8217;t change, no matter what kind of care is needed or which medical professionals are used.<\/p><h3>Different Payment Methods<\/h3><p>\ud83d\udc49 Schemes usually pay the people who give medical care directly.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 With health insurance the money is sent to the insured person&#8217;s bank account, and they can use it for anything they want.<\/p><h3>Different Regulatory Bodies<\/h3><p>\ud83d\udc49 In South Africa, the <a title=\"The Medical Aid Act - The Ultimate Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-act-guide\/\">Medical Schemes Act<\/a> and the <a title=\"A Closer Look at the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS)\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/council-for-medical-schemes\/\">Council for Medical Schemes<\/a> are in charge of all medical aid plans.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 The Long-Term Insurance Act and the Financial Services Board decide what rules to follow for health insurance (FSB).<\/p><h3>Different Prices &amp; Benefits<\/h3><p>\ud83d\udc49 By law, medical aid providers must offer Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) for a list of long-term conditions like asthma, heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Health insurance companies don&#8217;t have to follow the same laws and don&#8217;t have to think about these needs.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 If you&#8217;re a member of a medical aid plan and you end up in the hospital, the hospital will usually be paid directly for your care.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 With health insurance, you have to pay the hospital bill yourself with the lump sum you get, which may or may not cover all your medical costs.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 Even though a medical aid plan covers more things, it usually doesn&#8217;t cover accidents that make you disabled or the loss of limbs, while health insurance may cover it. The latter may also cover death and funeral costs, while medical aid plans don&#8217;t.<\/p><h3>Tax benefits<\/h3><p>\ud83d\udc49 Contributions to medical aid are tax deductible, but premiums for health insurance are not.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 At the moment, you can deduct up to R638 per month for the first two people on your medical aid plan and R215 per person after that.<\/p><p>\ud83d\udc49 The <a title=\"Medical Aid Tax Credit Explained (2024)\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/medical-aids\/medical-aid-tax-credit\/\">Medical Scheme Fees Tax Credit (MTC)<\/a> is also a way to get some tax relief.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-23102142 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"23102142\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1c7c9be ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"1c7c9be\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c0611e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c0611e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>How do medical aids compare to medical insurance?<\/h3><p>While medical insurance is a private health insurance policy that covers coverage for specific occurrences and may have limitations and exclusions, medical aid is a regulated healthcare coverage system that offers full benefits and promotes risk pooling.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Can You Have a Medical Aid and Medical Insurance?<\/h3><p>Yes, you can have a medical aid and medical insurance. You may even have more than one medical insurance.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>What Does a Medical Aid Do?<\/h3><p>Medical aids provide members with financial protection against the cost of future medical care, like hospital costs, medicine, hearing aids, wheelchairs and more.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>How Does Medical Aid Work in South Africa?<\/h3><p>In South Africa, the Medical Schemes Act regulates all medical aid schemes. By law, they must follow a list of rules and regulations, from standard-rate fees to the cover of various prescribed minimum benefits.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>What Does Medical Insurance Cover?<\/h3><p>Medical insurance covers events at a predefined amount for each day that the client spends in hospital.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Are Medical Insurance Worth The Money You Spend?<\/h3><p>Yes, medical insurance is worth the money you spend because you can prevent having to spend your life savings on excess payments if you need medical care.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Why Do You Need Medical Insurance?<\/h3><p>You need medical insurance to help pay bills should you develop certain illnesses, have to go to hospital for some time, or suffer from injury or disability.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2b5708a6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"2b5708a6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_ae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-13e860c5 ae-bg-gallery-type-default\" data-id=\"13e860c5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-390b0fbb elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"390b0fbb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" 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.elementor-toc__list-item-text.elementor-item-active{color:var(--item-text-active-color);-webkit-text-decoration:var(--item-text-active-decoration);text-decoration:var(--item-text-active-decoration)}ol.elementor-toc__list-wrapper{counter-reset:item}ol.elementor-toc__list-wrapper .elementor-toc__list-item{counter-increment:item}ol.elementor-toc__list-wrapper .elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper:before{content:counters(item,\".\") \". \"}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTable of Contents\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__390b0fbb\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-down\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__390b0fbb\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-up\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__390b0fbb\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<i class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-center kksr-valign-bottom\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;9332&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;37&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;*Rate this Medical Aid*&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;4.5\\\/5 - (37 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;18&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;What Is the Difference Between Medical Aid and Medical Insurance&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;101&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" 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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What Is the Difference Between Medical Aid and Medical Insurance The\u00a0Difference Between Medical Aid and Medical Insurance in South Africa revealed. We tested them side by side and verified medical aids and medical insurance. This is a complete guide to the difference between medical aid and medical insurance. In this in-depth guide you\u2019ll learn: What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12173,"parent":161,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[201],"tags":[],"pet-insurance-companies":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9332"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9332"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33848,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9332\/revisions\/33848"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9332"},{"taxonomy":"pet-insurance-companies","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicalaid.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pet-insurance-companies?post=9332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}