Medical Aid: Medical aids are governed by the Medical Schemes Act. This means that medical schemes must cover the costs related to a diagnosis and treatment of emergency medical conditions and Prescribed Minimum Benefits, which includes a limited set of 271 medical conditions and 27 chronic conditions. Medical schemes will usually cover both planned and emergency treatment in Hospital.
Some medical aid plans only cover in-hospital care whereas more comprehensive medical aid plans will cover the cost of day-to-day medical costs and care in hospital.
Medical/Health Insurance and/or Accident Cover: Health insurance products are exempted under the Medical Schemes Act to be provided by insurers. Health Insurance does not have to include cover for Prescribed Minimum Benefits, but our Kaelo Health Day-to-Day Cover options do cover chronic medicine for a defined list of chronic conditions as well as day-to-day medical expenses, depending on your chosen plan.
The Kaelo Health Accident Cover, which can be taken together with our Day-to-Day  Cover product or as a standalone product, provides cover for stabilisation, transportation, and treatment in hospital for medical emergencies related to accidents or illness, depending on your buy-up option. However, it will not cover the costs of a planned Hospital admission.
Medical aids generally have very high or no annual limits on hospitalisation.
The Kaelo Health Accident cover has a set limit for emergency hospitalisation, stabilisation and illness. The annual limit depends on the option you choose and this has an impact on the price of the product.
Medical aids typically start at a much higher price than medical insurance because of the unlimited cover they have to provide for Prescribed Minimum Benefit conditions and hospital care.
Medical insurance products are usually cheaper than medical aid plans because of the specific cover that they provide. Our Kaelo Health Day-to-Day Cover options provide cover for day-to-day expenses, like doctor visits, dentist visits and medicine, but various limits apply in accordance with your chosen plan.