# Medical Insurance in SA



## shawncanuck (Nov 4, 2013)

My wife has medical insurance with Momentum, but it is quite expensive and doesn't actually cover that much. I am wondering if it would be a better idea to cancel it and look at international medical insurance.

Anyone expats have any comments on this - do you use the SA options or have medical insurance from your home country?


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

shawncanuck said:


> My wife has medical insurance with Momentum, but it is quite expensive and doesn't actually cover that much. I am wondering if it would be a better idea to cancel it and look at international medical insurance.
> 
> Anyone expats have any comments on this - do you use the SA options or have medical insurance from your home country?


 Medical aids are very expensive.

I belong to BestMed Pace 3


Top Medical Aid Schemes in South Africa


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## shumifan49 (Sep 18, 2013)

As you live permanently in SA, your home country insurance will also become expensive to cover you abroad. I would be surprised if you end up any better off. In the case of the UK, medical insurance is really a 'balance of NHS' insurance, which makes it cheaper as most costs are covered by the NHS. In SA medical insurance covers the whole entitlement, which is why it is expensive (and much better than the UK offerings).


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## MissGlobal (Aug 4, 2012)

I'm using Aetna Global ( US-based) for our insurance out here. When we costed it out - it covered far more and was far cheaper than any plans we could find here in SA. Shumi - I'm not sure SA medical insurance covers as much as you hint at. I found their plans incredibly limiting - and even worse some of them had 12 month waiting periods for pre-existing conditions....


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