The Devil's in the detail....

After nearly 20 years with Fedhealth I’m now having to contemplate other options. I haven’t experienced some of the nightmarish scenarios I keep reading about on this site, I’ve usually had good service across the board, except for “Brad” and the other Live Chat consultants on the website who seldom grasp what you’re asking them and come back 10 minutes later with inane answers – a very weak, irritating service which should be terminated.

What I am unhappy about is a far more sinister development at Fedhealth. I’ve always believed in a comprehensive plan but now find myself in a position where my plan, Maxima Exec, has become ridiculously expensive and unaffordable. Fedhealth has cleverly structured itself with lots of low, entry level, non-comprehensive type plans and if you want comprehensive cover you will have to pay dearly for it. Good business strategy in choosing your market and aiming for younger, healthy, low claim risk members. I recently read a business report stating Medical Aid contributions will only increase between 3% and 8% for 2021. Fedhealth’s increase for Maxima Exec is 13.5%. So for me that equates to a R1539 increase PER MONTH. I don’t think there has been one increase in the past decade that’s been less than 12%. I remember one year it was 18%.

Until a few years ago I was on the Ultima Exec comprehensive plan; it was suddenly discontinued as an option and we were forced onto Maxima Exec. I was told by a broker that Ultima Exec had too many “oldies” on it and they were losing money so they stopped it. Looks like the same thing is now happening to Ultima Exec and I guess the attitude is “if you want the cover, cough up”. My problem is there is no intermediate comprehensive cover option at Fedhealth that one can downgrade to. The next plan down, Flexifed 4, costs around 50% less than Ultima Exec, so guess how little cover you will get on that type of plan. Why can there not be a few levels within one plan, tailored around a person’s state of health so that members can choose what they need more cover for and cut down on some of the other options?

Here I am in November; savings already run out in August due to doctors’ visits, X-rays, blood tests and mainly chronic meds not covered, like for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia. There’s no money left for a dental visit, no money left for new spectacles (last done 2018) and a threshold so high it’s impossible to reach in 2-3 months before year end, so basically my cover stopped in August other than for some chronic mediciness and of course hospital cover.

On top of the new R12733 monthly contribution I have top up insurance costing another R550 per month to cover hospital shortfalls because 300% of tariff has quietly and sneakily over the last 2-3 years been whittled away to 100% of medical aid tariff which is way below specialist charges.

All the wonderful benefit limits are there, looks impressive, but they are subject to savings….so really, it’s like the lotto; the promise is there but trying to get it is another story. What happened to separate dental and optical benefits? Taken away and lumped in under savings. What happened, Mr Jeremy Yatt, with the promise that if we agree to the amalgamation of Topmed with Fedhealth, it will bring you more buying power thus more savings and benefits for everyone? To quote your email of the 31 July 2019 announcing the approval of the merger: “This marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Fedhealth and its members”….. well so far I just see huge contribution increases and lower benefits. They say you can’t choose your family, but in Fedhealth’s case, yes you can!!!