Reminder: rehealth.co.za is a free to use website that helps you get the most out of your medical aid. It's free, it's instant. No registration or pesky sales calls.

Today we discuss:

• When can you really change your plan?
• Your free benefits that are about to expire
• The value of a longer healthspan
• Free money from your scheme....

🖊️ Eve's notes...

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I was listening (again) to Peter Attia, the longevity doctor and bestselling author. His main message is: look after yourself today, so you can have an as-healthy-as-possible last 10 years of your life. We all know people who are/were extremely weak and fragile in their last years, and often for as long as a decade or two…but we somehow think it won’t happen to us. Yet this health decline will be our reality unless we proactively do something about it.

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If you aren’t mobile and relatively strong in your old age, you won't be able to climb stairs, pick up your grandkid, take a bath or go out for coffee and cake with your friends. Even something as simple as strength of grip is life changing: if you can’t grip, you can’t carry a shopping bag. Think about the problems this would cause. And if you think it is too late for you: it isn’t, no matter your current age. Even adults who take up moderate exercise in their 70s see a considerable improvement in strength and quality of life.

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No, we won’t live forever, but we can live healthier, longer. Best way to ensure we do is through regular exercise. Stress management and good relationships are also important. I strongly recommend you read Peter Attia's book Outlive, or Google him for some podcast episodes. (Here is a 60 Minute segment to get you started)

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So yes, a good medical aid will give you the care you need (maybe!). But the best thing you can do for yourself and your family is look after yourself.

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Stay healthy! Stay wise and thanks for reading.

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PS: Send me your medical aid/insurance questions and experiences. I can’t give individual advice but I can maybe give you insight into benefits and legislation. eved@rehealth.co.za or hit reply to this email.

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🇿🇦 First, let's save some money...

There's little I like more than a good deal and I want to collect as many health and wellness special offers for you as possible. Watch this space.

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👁️ Amazon.co.za is starting their Black Friday sale...in October. 🙄. You can expect some great deals on supplements, and other health products. Probably worth checking out. (Use code "Early20" to get 20% off your first order!)

💪 If you have a medical savings account (MSA), ask your doctor if they have a lower cash rate. Many do! Pay the account in cash, and claim back from your medical aid. It will stretch your savings account. (I am a huge fan of controlling every cent that leaves your Savings account yourself. Otherwise there is "magic" that happens that makes the money disappear in NO TIME).

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Our Guides are free and available for instant download.

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🇿🇦 Medical Aid and other cover 101:

Useful and relevant information about medical aid, gap covers, hospital insurance and even pet cover. Goal: to help you know the rules, so you don't overpay.

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When can you really change your plan?

There is a misconception that you can only change medical aid in January. This is not true. Here are some other options for when (and how) you can change your plan: You can change schemes at any time (eg. from Discovery to Bonitas) although you will probably have a waiting period You can downgrade plans on most schemes any time in the year You can upgrade plans on some schemes any time of the year, especially if you have a life changing event (illness, pregnancy, cancer diagnosis, divorce, etc). Example: Bestmed, Fedhealth (not Discovery Health!) If you have to involuntarily change plans (eg. you’ve left your job and your old plan is no longer available to you) you can change with no waiting periods at any time in the year. But! January is the best time to change plans because: It's a good time to assess your healthcare needs vs new pricing of the plans You get the full annual benefits from your new plan (otherwise, if you join after January the benefits are pro-rated) You can upgrade your plan within your scheme (only time this is allowed on all schemes) You can downgrade within your scheme You won’t have to pay back any savings money you might have used throughout the past year. (eg. if you are on a savings plan, use up all your savings by April and then change schemes/plans in May, you have to pay back the May-December portion of the savings that was given to you “upfront” in January). Important Note! If you change schemes you will still probably have a waiting period, even if you change in January. You do not have a new waiting period if you just change plans (within the same scheme)

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Your free benefits are about to expire!

It’s (almost) November, which means that at best we have 4-5 weeks left to “cash-in” on all the freebies that our medical aid plans give us. Yes, every plan has some freebies. ​ ​Savings Account vs Fund ​ If you have a Savings account (MSA), then any unused funds carry over to next year, so no need to spend those. But if you have a plan that gives you day-to-day benefit allocation funded by the scheme, these funds do not carry over. Example: Bestmed Beat 4 gives you an additional R31,000 per family for out-of-hospital expenses. Any unused funds will not carry over to next year. Comprehensive Plans​ If you are on a Comprehensive plan, and in your Above Threshold Benefit (ABT), then I hope you are putting it to good use! (You’ve paid a lot of money to get to this point, so don’t feel guilty). Some plans have unlimited ABTs (with sub-limits), some do have limits. Either way, make sure you use it to max out your needs but be sure you understand how ATB benefits are paid. (You could get nasty surprises). We have much more on this here. Preventative Benefits: ​ ​Every plan has some form of "free" preventative benefits that you should use to the max. The schemes offer them because it keeps you healthier, and cuts down healthcare costs in the long run. We list all the freebies on rehealth.co.za (Find your plan here) but these are some examples of possible "freebies" your scheme may offer: Flu shot Pneumococcal vaccine Mammogram (1 every 2 years, 40yrs+) Pap Smear ( 1 every 3 years, 18yrs+) HIV test Biometric tests Child immunisations PAS Tests Dental cleaning / checkup / sealants Optometry (every two years) Mental health (NB!!) . (Every plan offers at least 12 sessions with a psychologist for depression, anxiety, trauma etc). External Appliances (wheelchairs, hearing aids) Paediatric visits for your kids Birth control, including IUD devices Over the counter medication (incl sunscreen) (Note that some benefits are available once a year, once every 12 months, or once every 2, 3 or 5 years. All details can be found on rehealth.co.za) How to find your freebies Find your scheme and plan here. Click on "Wellness" Benefits (see image below). This will show you most of the preventative benefits that are available to you. Also look through the Out of Hospital benefit.

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✅ Don't forget, rehealth,co.za allows you to check all your plan benefits here, and you can also compare any two plans side by side.

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🇿🇦 Everyday health and wellness:

You might have 99 problems - until you have a health problem. Then you'll have just one problem. We help you look after yourself 😉

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HIV jab approved

Some good news: SA has approved an anti-HIV jab. It’s administered every 6 months, and prevents HIV infections. Estimate is if 1-2 million at-risk people were to receive it in SA, we would eradicate AIDS within 18 years. Unfortunately, we are only getting about 400,000 doses, so that’s an unrealistic timeline. But better than nothing. (Covid PTSD, anyone?). The reason I am telling you this though is for this mind-blowing fact: the jab costs $28,000 per person per year in the US, but we are getting it for $40 per person. There is so much to unpack in that little fact ….incentive to do medical research, healthcare equality, the warped US healthcare system etc etc....

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Other news:

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💔 End of year gets hectic and stressful. If you or someone you know needs mental health intervention, know that medical aid pays for up to 15 out of hospital consults with a psychologist, or up to 21 days in a mental health facility. By law. Even on hospital plans. More info here.

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Know of a South African service / product / facility that I should feature here? Let me know by hitting reply to this email!

🇿🇦 Weekend loading...

An important part of staying healthy is taking time out to relax, and smell the roses. Go hang out with a book, a podcast, your dog or your friends. Climb a mountain, eat a salad. Smile. This section is all about helping you get into that mood.

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Read: A builder’s guide to living a long and healthy life

I'm not going to lie...this is a long, detailed read, but it is full of valuable insight into how to adjust your lifestyle to improve chances of a long and healthy life. Justin Mares breaks down everything, from what clothing to wear, what food to eat, what products to use etc. Very US centric, but the message is clear and applies to all of us. I've bookmarked it to reference over the next months. Find the full article here.

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Watch: Take Care of Yourself

This heartwarming ad brings home exactly what I was talking about in my "Eve's Notes" above. It shows it's never too late to start looking after your health. I always shed a little tear when I watch it. I hope you watch it too!

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New and/or noteworthy on rehealth:

Medical Aid:

> Check your plan's benefits for 2025 and 2026

> Compare any two medical aid plans

> Check you're not overpaying your late joiner penalty

> What to do if your medical aid won't pay for a PMB?

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📆 Next week...

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Thank you for reading! I appreciate your attention :-). Next week I am planning to tackle the following topics (but send me suggestions or questions!).

• Wellness Funds explained (it's more free money!)
• Who pays for ER visits?

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See you then!

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PS. If you find value in this newsletter, please forward to a friend! I'll be so happy to see it spread through more medical aid members. Strength in numbers!

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Important side note: I am not a broker or financial advisor, so cannot give individual advice. All info is my own interpretation of how the medical aid etc world works. Always speak to a broker or your insurer before making any decisions about your health cover

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