# USA to SA Pre-existing conditions



## mchm (Nov 15, 2008)

I was wondering if private health insurance in South Africa covers pre-existing conditions. 
I am a Breast Cancer survivor. The USA has laws protecting against exclusions.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

mchm said:


> The USA has laws protecting against exclusions.


Sort of! 

Hopefully they might be expanded a little in the next administration.


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## mchm (Nov 15, 2008)

*SA info please...*

unless you have more than a 12 month gap in insurance. 
hopefully, but this change has never come easy, it didn't in the last democratic administration either. 
but I am asking about south africa..??????


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

The Medical Aids in SA did'nt cover pre-existing hyper tension so I cant see them covering Oncology.
And you do NOT want to go to a Government or Provincial Hospital in case of a relapse.


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## Quicksmile (Oct 14, 2008)

*HealthCare Insurance....*



mchm said:


> I was wondering if private health insurance in South Africa covers pre-existing conditions.
> I am a Breast Cancer survivor. The USA has laws protecting against exclusions.


MEdical Aid (as Healthcare Insurance is known in South Africa) covers all conditions from day 1 if the new applicant can show that they have been a member of a different Medical Aid until joining of the new medical aid.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Quicksmile, even an American one?
AFIK,that is only if they have been a member of a South African Medical Aid.
my comment about hypertension related to an friend from London on Contract in SA, he had Medical Insurance in the UK etc..his hyper tension and any illness arising as a result of, was excluded or prescribed in amount.
That effectively limited treatment for either a heart attack or a stroke.
Suggest the poster emails Discovery Health and asks them


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## Quicksmile (Oct 14, 2008)

*I am South African... who have just moved abroad...*



Daxk said:


> Quicksmile, even an American one?
> AFIK,that is only if they have been a member of a South African Medical Aid.
> my comment about hypertension related to an friend from London on Contract in SA, he had Medical Insurance in the UK etc..his hyper tension and any illness arising as a result of, was excluded or prescribed in amount.
> That effectively limited treatment for either a heart attack or a stroke.
> Suggest the poster emails Discovery Health and asks them


By law, no condition can be excluded, the only limitation you could face, is a window period of three months, and, in the event of you being pregnant, upon the birth of the child, whereafter both mother and baby would be covered automatically.

My understanding is... even if you are from a medical aid abroad (subject of course that it was a medical aid that is held in esteem, from a country who would not be considered problematic.

I concur with a previous comment... the best bet is to fire off a mail to Discovery, by far the better Medical Aid in the country, and they cover probably 70% of the professional or high nett worth individuals. 

you should get their contact details on discovery.co.za

On a brighter note... our Private Health care certainly ranks right up there with the best in the world, and coming with a US$, you would find it ridiculously cheap. The country is making huge strides in the Medical tourism industry where people from your part of the world (and the UK) fly into South Africa specifically to have a medical procedure done, they get to recuperate in a very nice hotel in awesome weather in Cape Town, probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

A procedure they had to wait many months in their home country for and for a lot less than what hey would have had to pay for.

Despite all you read on these pages... I am confident that you will come back here a few months after being in SA and tell people a different story. I have worked with many expats from the US, and must still meet someone who regretted the decision to come.


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## HereForNow (Dec 27, 2008)

[As far as I gather from my enquiries, it will cost us way over the top to get insurance because we do not have medical aid insurance details in RSA for the past 10 years. So we are basically waiting till we have settled in and can afford the insurance fees. We both have pre-existing conditions, and that pushes the charges up. In the meantime, we have found it reasonable paying for medical services as we go along.


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