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Picture: 123RF/tapati
Picture: 123RF/tapati

Recent reports documenting the resignations of members from medical aid schemes are disturbing both for members and for the schemes.

The late joiner penalty needs to be completely revised. I’ll use myself as an example. Due to circumstances beyond my control, a late joiner fee was applied to my premium by my medical aid when I became a member.Medical aids have all conveniently agreed to apply the increase to the penalty. I find this grossly unfair.

While I agree with a late joiner penalty being applied with increases for the period that the member was not part of a medical aid, I believe that on completion of that nonmember period, the penalty should cease. I am stuck with the annually increasing late joiner fee for life. My premium is double what I could be paying for minimal claims. As with any insurance the premium should be linked to the claim ratio. Hypochondriacs can pay more.

The dreaded National Health Insurance may start to be an option for those of us being unfairly penalised long after the nonmembership time has been paid off. Couple that to unscrupulous claims by the medical profession and declining member numbers paying higher fees, medical aids will at some point enter a death spiral.

Peter Gordon Grant
Sedgefield

The FM welcomes concise letters from readers. They can be sent to fmmail@fm.co.za

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