Growing inclusion non-negotiable for SA healthcare

April 23, 2021

Teshlin Akaloo

NetcarePlus fills important market gap to remove barriers to quality care

Quality healthcare and the peace of mind it provides can only be sustainable if it is made accessible to more South African households. To this end, Netcare, one of the country’s leading private healthcare providers, is expanding healthcare funding options available in South Africa to address the affordability barrier still faced by many individuals and families.

“Quality healthcare should be inclusive and yet the financial pressures that many employed people are facing means that private healthcare is simply out of their reach,” says Teshlin Akaloo, managing director of Netcare’s Innovative Products division, which is launching innovative new products under the NetcarePlus brand.

“Access to quality healthcare when a person most needs it protects livelihoods and longer-term health. The NetcarePlus brand, encompassing financial services and other products, has been established to serve the need for innovative healthcare solutions to fill the affordability gap.

“This new and affordable way for South Africans to get private healthcare will be supported by a range of innovative products to enable employers and individuals to purchase healthcare services as and when required. These products can either serve as stand-alone options for those who are uninsured or as a practical add-on to existing cover.”

New accident and trauma cover

Etienne du Toit, general manager: product & marketing for NetcarePlus adds that in addition to the primary healthcare GP consultation vouchers launched in July 2020, NetcarePlus has identified a market need for hassle-free access to private emergency and trauma care.

“Netcare has partnered with Hollard as the underwriter for its latest product offering, NetcarePlus Accident and Trauma Cover, aimed at broadening access to this critical service. We believe the peace of mind that comes with having made provision for such unexpected eventualities should be attainable by as many people as possible,” says Du Toit.

“Hollard is South Africa’s largest privately owned insurance group, with an outstanding track record and partnership business model and we are pleased to be associated with such a strong and reputable insurance brand.”

This insurance product guarantees stabilisation at the scene of an accident or trauma event and Netcare 911 transportation to a contracted private hospital. Another important benefit is that it also includes access to unlimited in-hospital treatment for up to 90 days for accident and trauma related medical care.

The package will include, among others, associated services following from an accident or trauma event, for example pathology and radiology and 24-hour trauma counselling services. The cover also includes regular lump sum payments if the accident or trauma event results in the person being hospitalised for two days or more. Completing the picture, assistance with Road Accident Fund claims are also included, where needed.

Recognising the fact that consumers prefer to have a choice as to how and where they buy, the product is available through intermediaries as well as a user friendly and secure online application platform – https://bit.ly/3fg9p4F – where individuals can get a quote and activate their accident and trauma cover. NetcarePlus GP vouchers can also be purchased on this platform.

“We are pleased to be a part of this innovative answer to reducing the funding challenges many South Africans grapple with. NetcarePlus products offer a unique mechanism providing reassurance that access to private healthcare is secured before it is needed,” says Besa Ruele, CEO: Hollard Life Solutions.

“Hollard is a solutions-driven insurer and we partnered with NetcarePlus to find gaps that exist in the market and resolve them with imagination and innovation, so we can create positive and enduring change for South Africans. This partnership will ensure that we enable more people to create and secure a better future for themselves and their family members because of the unique design of this product range,” Ruele explains.

NetcarePlus Prepaid Procedures

“The NetcarePlus Prepaid Procedure product intends to provide an affordable solution for certain medical procedures at an all-inclusive cost. These procedures are performed at certain Netcare hospitals by a few surgeons and at prescribed times, and the price we charge includes all costs related to the procedure and not just the cost of the hospital stay,” says Du Toit.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgency of closing the affordability gap through creative models that are workable for South Africa’s dynamic economically active population. In making new funding mechanisms available to provide financial certainty around private healthcare costs, it will be possible for many thousands more South Africans to enjoy the benefits of quality healthcare in the private healthcare setting,” Akaloo asserts.

“By packaging the necessary quality care with affordable payment solutions to deliver peace of mind in an end-to-end service, NetcarePlus’ prepaid products encourage earlier, timeous intervention and treatment.

“A growing national network of healthcare professionals underpins the NetcarePlus offering, connecting them with a growing client base, which also contributes to expanding their practices.

“Quality healthcare helps people live their full potential. More South Africans can now affordably take care of their health and be prepared for emergencies through innovative solutions such as those offered by NetcarePlus through the extended Netcare ecosystem,” Akaloo concludes.

Note: The NetcarePlus Accident and Trauma product is underwritten by The Hollard Insurance Company Limited (Hollard), a licensed non-life insurer and an authorised financial services provider. This cover is not a medical scheme, and the cover is not the same as that of a medical scheme. This insurance product is not a substitute for medical scheme membership.

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