Medshield medical scheme introduces an affordable hospital plan to meet the needs of consumers

"Medshield exists for our members and with the introduction of MediSwift we are specifically responding to requests from the market for an affordable hospital plan,” states Alan Fritz, Acting Principal Officer of Medshield Medical Scheme. Young, healthy individuals often opt for hospital plans with no comprehensive day-to-day benefits that allows active, healthy individuals the freedom to manage their daily healthcare needs. "This audience believes that being young, fit and active means that comprehensive cover is not a primary need until later in life. A hospital plan is their way of preparing for the unexpected," says Fritz.

Fritz further explains that in the current challenging economic climate and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on consumers, it was important for Medshield to develop a hospital cover option that could meet the unique healthcare needs of young adults. The plan caters for people who work out regularly, follow healthy eating habits and participate in athletic activities. "Based on the insights derived from thorough research and data, we identified a gap in the market for in-patient hospital cover at low monthly premiums, tailored to the immediate needs of these diverse young adults," he says.

With the member-centric MediSwift benefit design, Medshield confirms its commitment to provide all South Africans with value for money and access to much needed quality healthcare, no matter their diverse healthcare needs. "At Medshield, our vision is 'Partnering with you towards your personal healthcare and wellbeing', and we remain committed to our members by paying special attention to their individual healthcare needs. Our range of nine (9) medical aid plans feature a host of benefits that are very competitive in the market, and when comparing apples to apples, our plans, most often come out tops in terms of value for money and benefit richness compared main competitors," added Fritz.

MediSwift provides private in-patient hospital care and treatment to young adults by granting them access to some of the best private hospitals, doctors, surgeons and specialists in South Africa within the Medshield network. Over and above the In-Hospital benefits, MediSwift also features a physiotherapy and biokinetics benefit and two Family Practitioner visits annually, which is standalone primary care benefits and not linked to a hospital admission only - specifically for those active members who might require treatment, but their injuries are not serious enough for a hospital admission. "This new plan will address the feedback we received from the brokers and the market. However, it is also important to note that plan or option selection should always align to the member's healthcare needs," Fritz advises.

In addition to the extra value already mentioned, the MediSwift plan also features an annual Medshield Wellness benefit that includes the COVID-19 vaccination, flu vaccination, birth control, cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and BMI tests amongst others, which will no doubt be very valuable.

Furthermore, all members have access to a loyalty programme specifically designed for Medshield members. The Scheme collaborated with Elevate and Just Rewards to ultimately offer our members a loyalty programme with a difference. Elevate’s Health and Wellness Portal gives Medshield members access to brand-new technology that records and store their lifestyle data in one place and rewards them for healthy behaviour. It also links to smartphones and wearable devices to measure all their physical activity – earning members even more rewards! Furthermore, the partnership with Just Rewards offers members access to an easy, no stress lifestyle and wellness rewards programme through their free ExtraCare Tier featuring grocery savings, legal benefits etc., whilst the Lifestyle Tier includes a host of rewards ranging from dining, movie, retail and gym membership benefits, amongst others.

"At Medshield, we want our young people to Start Right. That begins with exceptional medical cover and access to private healthcare made possible by a Scheme that takes their age and lifestyle needs into consideration," says Fritz. Being part of a younger age group has its potential health risks, even though one might currently feel that you will be fine, healthy, and well forever.

Hospital cover enables young adults to embark on a personal health journey that starts right. Not having any medical cover can leave you exposed to risk in the future. "With this in mind, our MediSwift Start Right campaign is a call to action, speaking to this younger audience who are beginning their life journey and know that they need a health cover partner that will prioritise their well-being through every step of life. Starting right makes the rest easier, it lays a foundation to build upon and move forward in life with good health, knowing that they are on the right track,” says Fritz.

With a history of over 53 years, Medshield is driven by its mission to provide access to sustainable and affordable, quality healthcare through innovative products and benefits at very competitive prices in comparison to the market.