Health Insurance for Your Golden Hour of Need
Living in a time when crime and uncertainty are front and centre in our lives, we’re all acutely aware of just how important healthcare financial planning is. But for a majority of South Africa’s population, the cost of access to the kind of private, quality healthcare and emergency services needed in a medical crisis is largely out of reach. If you’re forced to rely on provincial emergency services, there’s the very real risk of long delays or not having immediate access to the care you need, which can prove terminal in a life-threatening situation.
“In an emergency medical situation, the term “golden hour” refers to the first hour after a traumatic injury or medical emergency when medical treatment and intervention is most critical and likely to mean the difference between life and death or possibly living with long-term complications. Many households and families find themselves under financial pressure at present, unable to afford the kind of medical scheme benefits that provide private healthcare and are thus forced to rely on public health services and facilities, including emergency vehicles and ambulance services. Wesmart’s Golden Hour Health and Accident insurance product was specifically designed to provide an affordable cover in the event of accidents and trauma that will provide access to the quality private healthcare and immediate response needed in a medical emergency,” explains Oupa Melato, Sales and Distribution Manager for Wesmart Financial and Administration Solutions. Wesmart is backed by RH Bophelo and is underwritten by GENRIC Insurance Company Limited.
Wesmart’s Golden Hour Accident and Health insurance plan provides peace of mind for individuals and families that they will have access to speedy, private medical intervention and stabilisation needed if disaster strikes. The benefit rich option includes casualty and private hospital cover for Accidents, 24-hour private emergency medical ambulance services, an emergency stabilisation benefit in the event of a life-threatening illness such as a heart attack all to help protect you from the unexpected costs of a medical emergency. Cover is provided at cost to a maximum limit for specific events and conditions and provides access to private hospitals. Golden Hour is an affordable and highly effective solution for people who simply cannot afford the traditional private healthcare funding models, but still want the peace of mind that they won’t be left in the lurch in a health crisis.
Wesmart’s Golden Hour Health and Accident insurance plan has a core focus to provide private hospital cover for Accidents and Trauma. We extend this to include cover for stabilistation in a private facility on the event of an emergency illness such as a heart attack. This benefit allows for life-saving private intervention for people with no private hospital cover, who would have gone straight to a State facility anyway. Noe of this would have much meaning if as a foundation to all of this, we offer unlimited access to private ambulances 24/7 in the event of an emergency.
We have enriched our benefit offering even more by including certain out-of-hospital benefits, such as a generous benefit for rehabilitation for accident victims for when they leave hospital. “The need for care doesn’t necessarily end the day you leave hospital, and we understand this,” says Melato.
As an added bonus, we have included certain day-to-day Primary care benefits such as 2 GP consultations per annum, per beneficiary, as well as a medication benefit for prescribed acute medication and over-the-counter medication up to a limit of R1500 per annum. We also provide free consultations and testing with nurses at over 700 pharmacy-based clinics, including Dischem, Clicks and Medirite.
Members also have access to a range of other Value-added benefits, including 24/7 telephonic access to a clinically trained personal health advisor as well as a lump sum Accidental Death Benefit pay-out.
“Health insurance gives consumers access to quality private healthcare quickly and affordably, ensuring that a health event doesn’t become both a health and financial crisis. Whether you’re an individual looking for a cost-effective solution that understands that you are healthy and don’t need all the “bells and whistles”, a family that needs an affordable solution that meets your growing needs or an employer that needs a viable healthcare solution for employees, health insurance provides an invaluable solution where medical scheme benefits are simply not affordable,” concludes Melato.
Wesmart provides a wide range of Health Insurance options and holds an exemption in terms of the Demarcation Regulations from the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) under exemption number DM1122. The focus is on offering options to both private individuals as well as SMME and corporate employer groups. Wesmart is underwritten by GENRIC Insurance Company Limited. This article does not constitute as financial advice. T’s and C’s apply. For more information visit www.wesmart.co.za
Wesmart Financial and Administration Solutions (Pty) Ltd is an authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP: 45769) underwritten by GENRIC Insurance Company Limited (FSP: 43638). GENRIC is an authorised Financial Services Provider and licensed non-life insurer.
