Latest news with #KevinAron
News24
3 days ago
- Business
- News24
Affordable medical aid drives Medshield's membership growth
Medshield Medical Scheme recently held its 56th Annual General Meeting (AGM), where principal officer Kevin Aron highlighted the Scheme's impressive performance. Despite a challenging economic environment, Medshield has maintained a healthy solvency ratio and strong credit rating. Even in a stagnant market, Medshield ensured affordability without compromising quality of care, and kept its 2024 contributions low while increasing member benefits. This resulted in a 2,57% rise in membership as at 31 December 2024. Living up to its commitment to be 'Your Partner for Life', Medshield has many members who have been with the Scheme for more than 18 years, knowing it has their best interests at heart. Medshield has proven to be a stable organisation with a diverse menu of member-centric benefit plans to cover members' needs as they navigate life. First, there is no guarantee that your health will always be good enough to cover your medical expenses out of pocket. Second, medical aid should never be a complicated, grudge purchase. It's the reason Medshield makes it easy for you by offering a benefit plan tailored for every stage of your life: In your 20s: MediCurve is ideal for young, healthy, tech-savvy, first-time medical-aid buyers. This affordable plan enables young adults to acquire healthcare cover without putting any financial strain on their day-to-day lives. MediCurve offers in-hospital and out-of-hospital benefits, including free, unlimited virtual family practitioner consultations through its Medshield SmartCare benefit. MediPhila aims to protect young families against unforeseen medical costs through unlimited hospital cover for Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMB) conditions. There are also beneficiary limits for non-PMB in-hospital treatments and an out-of-hospital benefit limit for specific services. In your 30s: MediValue is the ideal option for individuals needing unlimited hospital and day-to-day partial cover. This option is available in both the Prime and Compact categories. The benefits are the same, but the Compact category mandates the use of Medshield Provider Networks for a smaller contribution. MediSaver is perfect for independent individuals who want to manage their out-of-hospital healthcare expenses through a personal savings account with unlimited hospital cover. Reaching your 40s and beyond: MediPlus is the answer for middle- to upper-income earners. It offers unlimited in-hospital coverage and a generous day-to-day limit. This option is available in the Prime and Compact categories. Both benefits are the same but, in return for a smaller contribution, the Compact category mandates the use of Medshield Provider Networks. MediBonus is the best choice for corporate employees and individuals who need comprehensive unlimited in-hospital cover and extensive day-to-day benefits. PremiumPlus provides the most comprehensive cover with freedom of choice, including no network restrictions, 200% cover for specific in-hospital procedures, and a personal savings account to manage your daily healthcare. At any stage: MediCore: Perhaps you're not one to visit the doctor for routine checks, but at the very least everyone should have unlimited in-hospital cover in case of major medical emergencies. MediCore is a hospital plan for those who require unlimited hospital cover with full PMB cover. Certain in-hospital procedures are paid for at a higher rate (Medshield Private Tariff 200%). Medshield continues to innovate and improve its services, ensuring alignment with international best practice as evidenced by their International Organisation of Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 accreditation—demonstrating their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. The Scheme prioritises having the right capabilities and competencies to provide the highest-quality customer service. Medshield embraces innovation that fosters closer relationships with members. The launch of a new member app at the end of 2024 enhanced access to information and communication. 'Innovation is at the heart of Medshield. Our member app saw a 12,5% increase in downloads and a 35,6% boost in utilisation, making healthcare management more efficient than ever,' said Kevin Aron, Medshield's Principal Officer. In addition to the member app, the Scheme offers many other self-service touch points including their WhatsApp service line, the website member log-in zone and their Let's Meet virtual Microsoft Teams meeting solution. For members who prefer in-person service, the Scheme continues to offer in-person visits to regional offices and telephone interactions through their state-of-the-art contact centre. No matter what life stage you're at, Medshield has a tailored and affordable benefit package for you. Visit Medshield's Medical Scheme's website for more information about its benefit plans.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Affordable cover, more benefits, no hassle: Medshield membership rises
Medshield Medical Scheme recently held its 56th AGM where principal officer Kevin Aron highlighted the scheme's impressive performance for the financial year ending December 31 2024. Despite a challenging economic environment, Medshield has maintained a healthy solvency ratio and strong credit rating. This demonstrates the scheme's ability to meet its obligations and ensure long-term stability and sustainability for its members. Even in a stagnant market, Medshield ensured affordability without compromising quality of care, and kept its 2024 contributions low while increasing member benefits. This resulted in a 2.57% rise in membership in 2024. Living up to its commitment to be 'Your Partner for Life', Medshield has many members who have been with the scheme for more than 18 years, knowing it has their best interests at heart. Member-centric benefit plans for every stage of life First, there is no guarantee that your health will always be good enough to cover your medical expenses out of pocket. Second, medical aid should never be a complicated, grudge purchase. That's the reason Medshield makes it easy for you by offering a benefit plan tailored for every stage of your life: In your 20s: MediCurve is ideal for young, healthy, tech-savvy, first-time medical-aid buyers. This affordable plan enables young adults to acquire healthcare cover without putting any financial strain on their day-to-day lives. MediCurve offers in-hospital and out-of-hospital benefits, including free, unlimited virtual family practitioner consultations through its Medshield SmartCare benefit. MediPhila aims to protect young families against unforeseen medical costs through unlimited hospital cover for Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMB) conditions. There are also beneficiary limits for non-PMB in-hospital treatments and an out-of-hospital benefit limit for specific services. In your 30s: MediValue is the ideal option for individuals needing unlimited hospital and day-to-day partial cover. This option is available in both the Prime and Compact categories. The benefits are the same, but the Compact category mandates the use of Medshield Provider Networks for a smaller contribution. MediSaver is perfect for independent individuals who want to manage their out-of-hospital healthcare expenses through a personal savings account with unlimited hospital cover. Reaching your 40s and beyond: MediPlus is the answer for middle- to upper-income earners. It offers unlimited in-hospital coverage and a generous day-to-day limit. This option is available in the Prime and Compact categories. Both benefits are the same but, in return for a smaller contribution, the Compact category mandates the use of Medshield Provider Networks. MediBonus is the best choice for corporate employees and individuals who need comprehensive unlimited in-hospital cover and extensive day-to-day benefits. PremiumPlus provides the most comprehensive cover with freedom of choice, including no network restrictions, 200% cover for specific in-hospital procedures, and a personal savings account to manage your daily healthcare. At any stage: MediCore: Perhaps you're not one to visit the doctor for routine checks, but at the very least everyone should have unlimited in-hospital cover in case of major medical emergencies. MediCore is a hospital plan for those who require unlimited hospital cover with full PMB cover. Certain in-hospital procedures are paid for at a higher rate (Medshield Private Tariff 200%). 'No hassle' service excellence Medshield continues to innovate and improve its services, ensuring alignment with international best practice as evidenced by the scheme's International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 accreditation. This demonstrates its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. The scheme prioritises having the right capabilities and competencies to provide the highest quality customer service. Medshield embraces innovation that fosters closer relationships with members. The launch of a new member app at the end of 2024 enhanced access to information and communication. 'Innovation is at the heart of Medshield. Our member app saw a 12.5% increase in downloads and a 35.6% boost in utilisation, making healthcare management more efficient than ever,' says Aron. In addition to the member app, the scheme offers many other self-service touch points including its WhatsApp service line, the website member log-in zone and its Let's Meet virtual Microsoft Teams meeting solution. For members who prefer in-person service, the scheme continues to offer in-person visits to regional offices and telephone interactions through its state-of-the-art contact centre.
Zawya
13-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
The future of medical schemes depends on technology, trust and transformation
In an era where technology advances are transforming every aspect of our lives, accessing information about healthcare should be just as seamless and efficient. The complexities of dealing with a medical scheme can seem daunting, and technology can significantly reduce these complexities and improve access to the right information at the right time – imagine effortlessly managing your healthcare needs online, much like booking travel or managing your finances. Kevin Aron, principal officer at Medshield Medical Scheme We understand that medical aid members want clear, simple, and fast access to their benefits. They want to feel supported when they are unwell and before problems start, and most importantly, they want options that match their digital or face-to-face preferences. Improving efficiency while enhancing the member experience Most members contribute a significant portion of their monthly budget to their medical scheme. It's only fair that those contributions are used efficiently. The less we spend on administration, the more we can direct toward members' healthcare services. That's why Medshield has invested in digital systems that reduce costs and streamline operations. We have automated processes that integrate with communication channels and other digital tools to improve processing and overall efficiency. This allows us more time to focus on what matters most: caring for our members. Medshield members now have more ways to engage with the Scheme beyond traditional phone calls or email correspondence. Our member mobile app and WhatsApp service channel allow members to access important information and services at their convenience 24/7. We launched our enhanced Medshield member app at the end of last year, which resulted in a 20% increase in usage. We are continuously monitoring the uptake to ensure long-term value. Many members continue to supplement app use with calls to our call centre, suggesting that confidence in digital-only services is still developing. Current development priorities include improving app functionality for automated hospital authorisations and chronic medication approvals. For example, members could input procedure reasons directly into the app, reducing the need to phone the contact centre. It has the potential to simplify a currently manual process. In addition, Medshield is exploring further digital service enhancements. Predicting and managing clinical risk Beyond operational and access improvements, Medshield proactively uses technology to manage clinical risk. By applying artificial intelligence and predictive modelling with clinical biomarkers, the Scheme identifies members who may be at risk of hospital admission within the next three to six months. Once these members are identified, the Scheme provides clinical support, including clinical coaching or referral to a general practitioner or specialist. The goal is to prevent unwarranted admissions, reduce the need for emergency care, and improve health outcomes for our members and their families. Technology is also being used to identify members likely to be readmitted post-discharge, for example, due to wound infections. Early engagement helps to identify clinical risk, prevent complications and avoid unnecessary re-hospitalisation. In addition, Medshield is piloting facial scan technology that can analyse up to 20 clinical health parameters from a person's facial image. Medshield is utilising this as a mass digital health screening tool to direct members to appropriate care to reduce high-cost episodes and to support earlier intervention. Behaviour change and lifestyle health Lifestyle-related diseases remain one of the most significant cost drivers for medical schemes. Conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity are closely linked to behaviours such as inactivity, poor diet, and unmanaged stress. Medshield is working to address this through behaviour change programmes like Medshield Mind and Medshield Movement. These initiatives support members with educational materials, coaching, and practical advice for managing their health, including child and family-focused interventions. One proof of concept currently underway has shown that members living with type 2 diabetes can reduce or stop medication with consistent lifestyle improvements while under medical supervision. This programme aims to empower members to improve their quality of life. Interventions are tailored based on a member's clinical risk profile, ranging from low-touch digital education to personalised nurse coaching. Due to current regulations under the Medical Schemes Act, the Scheme cannot offer financial incentives for improved health outcomes. However, behaviour change remains a key focus area in chronic disease management. Remaining accessible beyond digital tools Although the demand for access to digital channels continues to increase, many members still prefer to meet in person. Medshield has made enhancements to our regional offices and walk-in centres and recently relocated our Cape Town and Durban branches after conducting a survey and engaging with members to understand their needs. Looking ahead, the Scheme is reviewing its benefit design for the 2026 cycle with a strong focus on prevention. With one of the highest solvency ratios in the industry, Medshield is well-positioned to consider enhancements to its preventative benefits while aiming to limit contribution increases. Additional efforts are focused on predicting avoidable healthcare episodes and ensuring members are guided toward appropriate care earlier in their treatment journey. In today's healthcare environment, members want more than just cover. They want easy access to support, whether online or in person, which helps them stay healthier for longer. Medshield adapts to these changing needs by using innovative technology, enhancing day-to-day processes, and proactively addressing health issues before they escalate. It's about making healthcare work better for real people in real life.
