You are covered for 27 chronic conditions (including HIV/AIDS). You must register on the Chronic Illness Benefit and once approved, we will start paying for chronic medication. If you do not register, we pay for your chronic medication from your day-to-day benefits.
Our aim is to provide structure and make sure your chronic medication works for you.
We provide an efficient pre-authorisation process for you when taking chronic medication and combine advanced technology with pharmacological and medical expertise to assess applications for medication in line with clinical guidelines.
We ask your treating Healthcare Professional about your medical condition and may require test results or additional proof to confirm that your medical condition qualifies for cover.
Ask your treating Healthcare Professional to fill in a registration form. E-mail the completed form to chronicbasicessential@bankmed.co.za or fax it to 011 539 7000.
To get authorisation for chronic medication at once, your Healthcare Professional or pharmacist can contact Bankmed on 0800 13 23 45.
Alternatively, ask your treating Healthcare Professional to fill in a registration form. E-mail the completed form to chronic@bankmed.co.za, or fax it to 011 770 6247.
When you apply to join the Chronic Illness Benefit, and Bankmed reviews your application, we suggest that your treating Healthcare Professional prescribes the generic version of the medication. We do this to make sure you have the best cover for your condition.
By law, only you and your treating Healthcare Professional can decide what treatment is best for you. We will not change your medication without your Healthcare Professional's permission.
You have to use medication on our medicine list (formulary) for it to be covered in full. Please speak to your Healthcare Professional and consult the Bankmed website or Bankmed App to check if the medication is on our list.
If the medication you use is not on our medicine list (formulary), you may have to pay part of the cost yourself. This is true even if the medication is a generic. Please speak to your Healthcare Professional and consult the Bankmed website or Bankmed App to check if the medication is on our list.
According to the International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance, generics can be between 20 to 90 percent cheaper than the original medication. When you collect your medication from the pharmacy, ask the pharmacist if a generic is available and the cost implication. You can save by using a single medication to treat a number of symptoms. For example, if you have a runny nose, congestion, and headache.
A generic contains the same active ingredients as the original medication but comes in different packaging. They have the same dosage, strength, quality, performance characteristics and intended use as the original. They are usually less expensive than the original medication. Original medication is more expensive since initially only the original company that developed it, can sell it. Generics are made when the patent runs out, and different companies are allowed to manufacture the medication.
