Member App is a winner!
Compliments are streaming in from members who have discovered how much easier the new Society Member App is making their lives. From checking benefits on the go, to sharing member cards with service providers and registered beneficiaries, to quickly submitting claims directly from your phone – our App can help you with all of that, plus more!
What our members are saying
“I would like to thank you for the release of a very good App, it’s very similar in simplicity to my [bank] App which with some assistance from my family, I’ve been able to use very easily. Keep up the excellent work!”
“Excellent… Thankfully all our needs and info in one place… Time saving and convenient… Just great!”
“This new app is a great achievement! Congratulations!”
“A user-friendly member app that gives me access to real-time personal medical information.”
HOW TO REGISTER
Simply go to your relevant app store, search De Beers Benefit Society, install, and follow the easy directions to register.
COVID-19 VACCINATION AND TESTING UPDATE
Have you been fully vaccinated yet?
Anyone over the age of 12 can now be vaccinated against Covid-19 in South Africa. If you and your qualifying beneficiaries have not yet been fully vaccinated, you are encouraged to do so without delay. You can speed up the process by registering before you get there. When you register online, you can even choose when and where to go. You don’t have to wait for an SMS. Just go straight to get vaccinated. This is particularly important if you are fifty years or older, because your risk is highest. Visit https://sacoronavirus.co.za/vaccine-updates/ for information on bookings, the benefit and safety of vaccines, and more.
Why you should consider having a booster dose, too
If you have heard about the recommended Covid-19 vaccine booster dose, you may be wondering whether you should have it. See below for some background on the booster dose, to help you to make an informed decision about protecting the health of you and your loved ones.
WHAT IS A BOOSTER DOSE?
A booster Covid-19 dose means, for most people* –
- if you have had the J&J vaccine, having a second J&J dose after your initial vaccine, or
- if you have had two Pfizer vaccine doses, having a third Pfizer dose after your last Pfizer dose.
This booster dose forms part of your Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMB) and will be covered in full by the Society.
*Except for immunocompromised members who may qualify for, and receive, an additional vaccine dose before their booster dose. See the section below for more information.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR A BOOSTER DOSE?
Any members or their registered beneficiaries over the age of 18 will qualify for the booster dose. However, they will only qualify to receive the booster dose once the minimum interim period for their specific vaccine has passed (see ‘When’ below).
WHY SHOULD I HAVE A BOOSTER DOSE?
With vaccination programmes worldwide showing that Covid-19 vaccines have a definite lifesaving effect, experts are recommending the use of booster Covid-19 vaccine doses to improve protection against Covid-19 infection and the potential health complications resulting from such an infection.
WHEN SHOULD I HAVE MY BOOSTER DOSE?
- If you have had the J&J vaccine, you should have your booster J&J dose two months or more after your initial vaccine.
- If you have had two Pfizer vaccine doses, you should have your booster Pfizer dose six months or more after your last Pfizer dose.
HOW DO I GO ABOUT GETTING MY BOOSTER DOSE?
You can register for your booster dose on the EVDS Registration Portal.
If you want to be tested for Covid-19
As per the Council for Medical Schemes’ guidelines, the Society will fund consultations and PCR tests as a Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB), in other words, at 100% of the cost. If the PMB criteria and/or guidelines are not met, pathology tests will be paid from your relevant Society benefits, according to the rules and benefit availability.
PCR tests – The Society covers the cost of PCR Covid-19 tests from your individual pathology limit
Antibody tests – No benefit, unless motivated.
Rapid tests – No benefit, as this is an exclusion.
Also remember that Covid-19 tests that are performed at a facility that does not have a registered practice number, will have to be paid upfront by the member. A 10% co-payment may apply on some Covid-19 tests.
The good news is that the Competition Commission has come to an agreement with the major pathology laboratories to reduce the price of Covid-19 PCR tests from R850 to R500 including VAT (a 40% reduction in cost). The country’s three largest private pathology groups, Pathcare, Lancet and Ampath, have also agreed to reduce the price of rapid antigen tests to no more than R150.
Dis-Chem will no longer offer Covid-19 tests
Dis-Chem have informed us that they are unable to provide these services at the lower price and have discontinued Covid-19 Antigen and PCR testing for all customers.
The National Department of Health (NDoH) announced on 26 November 2021 that individuals with certain conditions that indicate a compromised immune system may receive an additional Covid-19 vaccine to increase their immune response to Covid-19. This is because individuals with a compromised immune system are not only more vulnerable to Covid-19, but may also have a reduced immune response to Covid-19 vaccines. They would therefore be at higher risk of serious illness if they contract Covid-19, and Covid-19 vaccines may be less effective for them than for other people. An additional dose followed by a booster dose should offer such individuals better protection against Covid-19 infection and related health complications. You can see the list of qualifying conditions, and read more about getting the additional vaccine dose, in this NDoH circular.
Kind regards
Stanley Mathonzi
PRINCIPAL OFFICER
The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) is conducting an awareness survey for medical scheme members and beneficiaries to gauge their awareness about the services offered by the CMS to members and beneficiaries of medical schemes. The overall aim of this exercise is to improve the CMS’s service to members of medical schemes. Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. All the participants’ responses to the study will be kept confidential. Please click here to access the CMS survey. The closing date for participation in the survey is 25 February 2022.