Here's how to avoid your medical savings running out before the end of the year

Lester Kiewit interviews Council for Medical Schemes senior researcher Maninie Molatseli and Jill Larkan from GTC Healthcare on how to tackle the likelihood of your MSA running dry.

Medical aid or insurance is a costly necessity and is often only afforded by a margin of working South Africans.

Now with the winter season upon us and decreased COVID-19 restrictions in place, it is likely that your medical savings accounts are already running low.

Lester Kiewit interviews Council for Medical Schemes senior researcher, Maninie Molatseli and Jill Larkan from GTC Healthcare on how to curb the likelihood of your medical savings accounts running dry. (scroll-up to listen)

The advice is varied as some people are healthier than others, However, there are a few pointers one can adopt.

Molatsedi says that if you have a chronic condition it is important to research the Medical Schemes Act which stipulates certain medical procedures that should not be debited from your medical savings account but rather your medical aid.

The Medical Schemes Act prescribes that there are certain chronic conditions that should be fully covered by your medical scheme and should not be paid from your medical savings account.

Maninie Molatseli, Senior researcher - Council for Medical Schemes

While Larkan recommends using pre-paid vouchers, starting at R300, which are available from certain open medical schemes to reduce the high costs of doctor's consultations and medicines.

They will give you a voucher to go to a network doctor and get medicines from that doctor for R300

Jill Larkan, GTC healthcare consulting

Larken advises against medical loans as a way to pay for procedures. She adds that the risk of going into debt for a medical procedure that might not guarantee your health at the end of it is too high.

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