Coronavirus and other medical events

2020 has kicked off with a major bang and even greater bang in China, even before their yearly Lunar New Year Holiday has arrived. With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, most of the festivities have been dampened.

The current situation looks as follows:

An outbreak of a new coronavirus that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The death toll in China had risen to at least 80 by Monday, 27 January 2020. The majority of those deaths, 76 people, were in the central province of Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak. Shanghai, a city of 24 million, recorded its first death on Saturday. Across China, there have been 2,744 confirmed cases. The youngest confirmed case is a 9-month-old girl in Beijing. Thailand and Hong Kong have each reported eight cases of infection; the United States, Taiwan, Australia, and Macau have five each; Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia each have reported four; France has three; Vietnam has two, and Nepal has one. There have been no deaths from the virus reported outside China. (Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/world/asia/china-coronavirus.html )

This is but only one medical event that is currently making headlines in news reports all over the world. Besides this event, another medical event which is on the increase is cancer-related diagnoses. Worldwide cancer rates are set to double by 2020, a report published this week by the World Health Organization says. Currently, 10 million new cancers are diagnosed each year worldwide, but unless there is an effective prevention campaign, the number will rise to 20 million in 17 years’ time, says the report.

This brought us to choosing an appropriate medical aid scheme. Deciding can be overwhelming and while the country is experiencing a grim economic period, tightening your belt is essential. However, canceling your medical aid should be avoided as this cover will protect you financially if you have unexpected medical emergencies. With the broad spectrum of Medical Schemes (more than 18 open schemes), Medical Insurance Products, Gap Cover, etc available in the market, it becomes more and more important to obtain advice from specialist advisors in order to make the correct and informed decision.

Looking at premiums is normally the primary concern, but the question should always be asked: “Will the plan cover me sufficiently should a major medical event happen, which includes the mentioned events and more?”

By Kobus Herholdt – Employee Benefits