Medical Aid with Unlimited GP Visits

unlimited gp visits

It’s to GPs that most people turn when they fall ill or have health concerns. This makes medical aid with unlimited cover for GP visits particularly valuable.

Touch wood, most of us will avoid ending up in hospital this year. However, it’s a good bet that you and others in your family will need GP visits.

GPs work within a team of healthcare professionals

GPs play a vital role in promoting people’s health and well-being. They diagnose and treat a wide range of common illnesses and ailments.

They also play an important role as most people’s first point of contact with the medical profession. They refer patients to specialists and hospitals for specialised healthcare.

In this sense, they work within a wider team of healthcare professionals to prevent disease, and promote and support wellness.

Every day, millions of South Africans consult GPs. Millions more visit their doctors multiple times over a single illness event.

Rising cost of GP consultations

As with all medical expenses, the cost of GP consultations in South Africa has risen substantially over the past few years.

According to the online finance publication, Just Money, GP visits currently range in price from R300 to R600, depending on the location of the surgery.

On average, you can expect to pay R439 a visit, and that is a lot of money for one consultation.  

When you think about the potential costs for a young, growing family, over a 12-month period, the prospect of getting sick is frightening!

Why medical aid cover for unlimited GP visits is a must

Having medical aid that covers unlimited GP visits is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

As virtually all medical schemes in South Africa do provide extensive in-hospital benefits for GP consultations, it is the day to day cover that has to be properly assessed.

Here are a few affordable options that cover unlimited GP visits, both in and out of hospital:

Bonitas Boncap

Bonitas Boncap is a low-cost income-based medical aid plan that covers unlimited GP visits, in and out of hospital. The benefit only applies to GPs on the Bonitas network.

Fedhealth MyFED

MyFED is an affordable medical aid option from Fedhealth that uses income bands to determine monthly contributions.

Unlimited GP visits are covered in and out of hospital at network GPs. Consultations after the sixth visit are subject to scheme protocols.

Health Squared Foundation

The Foundation option by Health Squared is an entry-level income-based medical aid plan that provides unlimited cover for network GP visits. Authorisation is required after the fourth visit.

Benefits that extend day to day cover

Besides the income-based options that cover unlimited GP visits from risk, there are other ways of covering the rising costs of GP visits. 

Plans with a medical savings component sometimes offer extended day to day benefits that kick in once the medical savings has been depleted. These benefits pay for essential healthcare costs like GP consultations.

The Extender Benefit at Discovery Health is one such an example:

Discovery Health’s Extender Benefit

The Extender Benefit from Discovery Health is a value-added optional benefit available on the Executive, Comprehensive, Priority and Saver plans.

Once the medical savings account is devoid of funds, it automatically extends day to day cover to pay for unlimited GP consultations, within the GP network.

Are you looking for medical aid that offers the best benefits at a price you can afford? Call IFC on 021 593 3012 for professional advice about the best medical aid for your needs – including medical aid with unlimited GP visits – or request a quote online.

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