When do advise your medical aid that you are pregnant?
If you are a prospective member, you need to do so upon application or within 30 days after the completion of your application.
If you are already a member with no waiting periods, you can access the out-of-hospital maternity benefits without advising the medical aid that you are pregnant. However, you need to obtain pre-authorisation for the delivery of the baby, which can be done from 20 weeks onwards.
Are there waiting periods?
Waiting periods may apply to members who join a medical aid while already pregnant. If you join while you are pregnant the pregnancy will not be covered.
When do you advise the medical aid that the baby is born and needs to be added onto your medical aid
The baby needs to be registered within 30 days from the date of birth to ensure there is no break in cover and your child will be covered from the first day of life.
Are there any things you need to know or be cautious about when pregnant regarding medical aid so that you do not find yourself out of pocket
We advise members to use doctors and hospitals on the network to avoid out of pocket payments. Bonitas offers a wide range of maternity benefits which includes cover for consultations, amniocentesis and scans as well. These benefits are in addition to savings to give members more value for money.
Bonitas advises that any false information or non-disclosure of any material information provided upon application will result in the membership being declared null and void.
In addition Bonitas Medical Fund offers Babyline – a dedicated children’s health advice line
In 2016, Bonitas introduced Babyline – a 24-hour children’s health advice line manned by paediatric trained registered nurses. They are on the other side of the phone to assist with any parental concerns, or health related issues, 24/7, 365 days of the year.
How does it work?
Bonitas parents, or their caregivers, simply call the Babyline number on 0860 999 121 to reach a paediatric trained nurse. Through a series of questions asked regarding the health issue, parents will be provided with professional advice on what to do next. Depending on the symptoms, the advice might be to head straight to the ER or to see a doctor or specialist. The nurse will advise which healthcare provider is the most appropriate, given the health issue.
The services offered by the Babyline include:
- Home care advice
- Clinic/primary care/GP referral for the same day
- Clinic/primary care/GP referral for the following day
- After-hours care within the next six hours
- Immediate referral to the ER
The Babyline service is available to members across all the Bonitas plans, for children under 3 years.
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For 2025 we have a renewed Female Health Programme:In collaboration with CareWorks, it’s accessible to all female members aged 18 and above, with an emphasis on preventative care and early detection of female-specific health issues. In addition, we have an enhanced Maternity Programme to support expecting mothers. This includes early identification of and weekly engagement for high-risk pregnancies, post-childbirth care and associated mental health follow-up calls for new mums, given the prevalence of pre and postnatal depression. Also, milestone reminders for children under 3 and cover for antenatal vitamins through savings, day-to-day benefits or the Benefit Booster
Bonitas Medical Fund
0860 002 108
View Website: www.bonitas.co.za
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