You have cover for prevention, care and hospital visits

Now that you understand the risks of serious illness better, here are the benefits we offer to help you lower your disease risk and look after your health.

You have Insured Benefits for wellness and preventative care

You can’t tell if you are healthy by looking in the mirror. A Healthcare Professional has to do tests to find out if your body is hiding the early warning signs of disease.

We cover a wide range of wellness and preventative screenings as an Insured Benefit. This means that having your Personal Health Assessment (PHA) doesn’t take any funds from your Medical Savings Account (if applicable) or use up your day-to-day benefits. And with your good health always our primary concern we have made it as convenient as possible for you to have your PHA done. You have an option to attend one of our many Wellness Experience events at your workplace, or at your GP or local pharmacy so there is no excuse for not knowing the state of your health.

Here are some of the screenings we pay for as part of your Personal Health Assessment that specifically have to do with heart health:

• Your body mass index (BMI) since excess body fat increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke
• Your blood pressure because hypertension can cause damage to arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke, as well as kidney failure
• Your cholesterol as high cholesterol can clog your arteries. You might not show any symptoms until you suddenly suffer a heart attack or a stroke

We pay for medication on our list if you are diagnosed with hypertension or high cholesterol

Don’t use up your day-to-day benefits to treat high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Bankmed pays for medication and treatment for certain chronic illnesses from the Chronic Illness Benefit once you and your Healthcare Professional apply for cover.  You have access to medication even if your day-to-day benefits run out.

Obtaining authorisation for your chronic medication is easy. All you need to do is:

1. Download a Chronic Illness Benefit application form from www.bankmed.co.za / FIND A DOCUMENT / OTHER BENEFIT APPLICATIONS.
2. Fill in your details.
3. Ask your Healthcare Professional to fill in their details and your diagnosis information.
4. Send us the form by e-mail:
   1.  If you are on the Essential or Basic Plan, e-mail the form to chronicbasicessential@bankmed.co.za or fax it to 011 539 7000.
   2. If you are on any other Plan, e-mail the form to chronic@bankmed.co.za or contact 0800 BANKMED (0800 226 5633).

If you do not register your chronic condition, we pay for treatment from your available day-to-day benefits.

Your cover for hospital stays

In a medical emergency, for example, you suspect you are having a heart attack or stroke, call Bankmed Emergency Services on 0860 999 911. The line is managed by highly qualified emergency personnel who assess each case and provide immediate feedback and assistance, and will send emergency transport if necessary. We pay for this from your Hospital Benefit.

You have cover for procedures and treatment in hospital from your Hospital Benefit. You always have to contact us if you know you’re going to hospital to find out how we will pay for your hospital admission. Pre-authorisation means we confirm that your hospital admission meets our clinical protocols for funding. It does not guarantee we will cover all the costs related to the hospitalisation as this depends on your Plan’s limits.

Always check your Plan limits in your Plan-specific Benefit and Contribution Schedule or call us on 0800 BANKMED (0800 226 5633) for benefit confirmation if you are unsure.