The latest South African Consumer Satisfaction Index (SAcsi) for medical aid schemes reveals which company medical scheme customers are the most satisfied with.<\/p>\n
Now in its fifth year, the SAcsi Benchmark for Medical Schemes – run by research firm Consulta – offers impartial insights into the South African medical schemes industry by blending a Customer Expectations Index, Perceived Quality Index and a Perceived Value Index to achieve an overall result out of 100.<\/p>\n
South Africa\u2019s top five medical schemes are included in the industry index: Discovery, Bonitas, Medihelp, Momentum and GEMS. The sample included 1,757 consumers who were randomly selected for inclusion in the 2017 survey.<\/p>\n
Consulta CEO and founder, Professor Adr\u00e9 Schreuder, said that\u00a0the medical schemes industry has one of the lowest overall satisfaction scores compared to other SAcsi surveys, as medical aid is one of South Africans\u2019 most costly monthly expenses.<\/p>\n
“Many customers experience poor or low value for money, with many referring to complex rules, exclusions and co-payments. It is often considered a grudge purchase,\u201d said Schreuder.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndustry premiums increased by around 8 to 10%, which is well above inflation. Expectations around value for money will come under even more pressure when consumers are expected to contribute to the Government\u2019s proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) if it is launched as expected in the coming years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The SAcsi survey for medical schemes was not conducted in 2016, with the 2017 data measured against the 2015 and 2014 surveys.<\/p>\n
With a SAcsi score of 74.8, Discovery is well in line with the industry average of 74.2 and has improved its score marginally from 74.1 in both 2014 and 2015. Discovery overtook Liberty Health, which had merged with Bonitas during 2016. Medihelp achieved a SAcsi score of 72.6, significantly up from its score of 70.7 in 2015.<\/p>\n
Satisfaction by Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) members deteriorated further as members are the least satisifed. Its score fell from 74.3 in 2014 to 64.3 in 2017.<\/p>\n
Bonitas scored 73.1, which was 2.1 points down from its 2015 score and almost three points down from its 2014 score of 75.9. Momentum fell to 72.2 from 75.6 in 2015.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decline in Bonitas\u2019 score could possibly be attributed to its merger with Liberty Health. It could have put strain on the business as it would be managing a much larger member base,\u201d said\u00a0Schreuder.<\/p>\n
\u201cMedihelp\u2019s recent turnaround strategy seems to be paying off. While it previously offered low premiums, customers were often faced with surprisingly high co-payments. It has since increased premiums and moderated co-payments to make their service more predictable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cGEMS, on the other hand, failed to meet its customers\u2019 expectations, evident by the verbatim commentary on complaints and problems experienced by members.\u201d<\/p>\n
| #<\/th>\n | Medical aid scheme<\/th>\n | 2015 score<\/th>\n | 2017 score<\/th>\n | Change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1<\/td>\n | Discovery<\/td>\n | 74.1<\/td>\n | 74.8<\/td>\n | +0.7<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| <\/td>\n | Industry Average<\/em><\/td>\n | 74.2<\/em><\/td>\n | 74.2<\/em><\/td>\n | –<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 2<\/td>\n | Bonitas<\/td>\n | 75.2<\/td>\n | 73.1<\/td>\n | -2.1<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 3<\/td>\n | MediHelp<\/td>\n | 70.7<\/td>\n | 72.6<\/td>\n | +1.9<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 4<\/td>\n | Momentum<\/td>\n | 75.6<\/td>\n | 72.2<\/td>\n | -3.4<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | 5<\/td>\n | GEMS<\/td>\n | 67.5<\/td>\n | 64.3<\/td>\n | -3.2<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n | Discovery announced last week that it would be increasing premiums across all its products by an average of 7.9% in 2018, while Bonitas announced an average increase of 8.7%. Other medical aids are expected to follow suit in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n \n |