Joining your employer
Employer policy
It is compulsory for employees earning above R12 500 to belong to one of the Life Healthcare selected medical schemes – Discovery Health or Medshield – alternatively provide proof that you belong to your spouse’s medical scheme. Employees earning up to R12 500 have the choice of joining the Flexicare Plan or joining either of the medical schemes - Discovery Health or Medshield. If you join either of the medical schemes within 90 days of your employment date, there will be no waiting periods or penalties imposed on your membership for you and your immediate family. Underwriting may apply to special dependants.
Gap Cover is offered on a voluntary basis through Admed Gap and is deducted in full as a debit order. Waiting periods may apply to pre-existing conditions.
The employer policy confirms all the Life Healthcare guidelines and rules regarding your healthcare arrangements.
Compare medical scheme options
The selected Life Healthcare schemes are Discovery Health and Medhsield. Contributions are a payroll deduction and if you qualify, the company will provide a medical aid subsidy. There are many different medical scheme options within the 2 medical schemes in terms of affordability and health needs. Use this tool to filter and compare the options that are most appropriate for you and your family.
How to use the tool
- The rates are automatically calculated for the main member.
- Select “add dependant” to add spouse, adult(s), or child(ren).
- Answer the three questions relating to hospital and day-to-day cover.
- Select your budget range using the sliding scale.
- The option comparison tool will start generating your contribution and order based on benefit richness.
- By selecting “Group by plan type”, the table will group the plans allowing you to expand and collapse the groupings.
- To view further detailed information about the plans, select the required plans by clicking on each row. Once completed, click the “View Comparison” button.
- To revert to the list of plans, click the “Back to Selection” button.
Gap cover
Gap cover is a top up insurance that can be added to your medical scheme to cover specialist in hospital shortfalls, co-payments in hospital, cancer shortfalls and more…
Admed Gap is the preferred gap cover provider available to Life Healthcare employees. Membership is voluntary and monthly contributions are collected from the member directly by debit order. A general 3-month general waiting period, 9 month waiting period on pre-existing conditions and 12 months on pregnancy and cancer, may apply.
The Admed Gap contributions for 2024 are as follows:
Primary care
Primary care is a health insurance product that offers basic network day to day benefits – GP consults, medicine, dental and optical - and emergency stabilisation cover in hospital.
Primary care is a benefit available to employees who earn less than R12 500 per month and is compulsory if you have not selected a medical scheme option. Life Healthcare uses Discovery Flexicare as its preferred product, the company subsidises a maximum of the principal member + 1 spouse and up to 2 children.
The Flexicare contributions for 2024 are as follows:
The company has included trauma cover of up to R400 000 per event which is included in the above rates.
Funeral cover is included at an additional R8 for single members and R14 per family.
Chronic medicine and disease management
If you have been diagnosed with a chronic condition e.g., hypertension, diabetes or an illness (e.g., oncology, dialysis), you will need to register this on your medical scheme. Medical schemes require you to complete a process to ensure registration on the programmes. It is advisable to obtain a membership number and then submit your application for chronic and disease registration.
Loyalty programmes
Your medical scheme may have a wellness and loyalty programme that provides rewards, discounts and benefits for leading a healthier lifestyle. This may come at an additional cost.
Forms
Each provider has various forms that you may need to complete to ensure you are registered as a member.
Once completed, please send your form to your HR Representative.
If you are joining the medical scheme within 90 days of your employment date
If you are joining the medical scheme after 90 days of your employment date
If you are already a member of one of the existing medical schemes and you need to transfer this to your new employer
Gap cover application form
Primary care application form
Chronic application form
Loyalty programme application form