DURBAN - uKheshe, the QR cash card, has announced the launch of the uKheshe Health Benefits card, a medical aid solution that will cost R99 per month.
Available from 1st of July, uKheshe Health offers a host of benefits that aim to bring greater healthcare inclusion for individuals and families, including cover for private ground and air ambulance, private stabilisation and hospitalisation cover as a result of an accident or emergency.
Clayton Hayward, co-founder, uKheshe, said that the launch of the uKheshe Health Benefits card is a long overdue inexpensive solution especially given that only 13 percent of South Africans have some form of private medical aid or medical insurance.
Hayward said, "Affordable private healthcare has largely remained inaccessible to a large majority of South Africans. uKheshe Health is welcome relief for those in need of essential cover and previously had no choice but to rely on the overburdened public healthcare sector".
With two levels of card, individual cover and the family card (covers family of six), with benefits of R325 000, uKheshe Health caters to every need and income level.
"Almost 45 million South Africans require some form of healthcare from the State. While the country enjoys a world class private healthcare system, it is increasingly prohibitively expensive for low-income earners and their families, especially in the event of an accident or emergency. Now previously uncovered lives can access mainstream private healthcare at a fraction of the cost," said Hayward.
Erick Vischer, Head of Compliance and Insurance at uKheshe Payment Solution said that the target market for the Health Benefits card are those that are not able to obtain bank accounts with a traditional bank.
Vischer added, "However, from a Life and Health perspective, anybody who doesn't have access to these benefits would be our target market".
uKheshe Health Benefit card holders do not need a bank account and benefits are instantly activated when a user signs up for the uKheshe Health Benefits card. The card offers all the features that the normal uKheshe QR card does, including added private hospital and emergency benefits for the card holder.
uKheshe Health is available in two benefit options:
1. Individual at R99 per month offers unlimited emergency medical services, R25,000 trauma cover, and R300,000 private hospital cover.
2. Family (main member, spouse, up to 4 direct kids) for R249 per month offers unlimited emergency medical services, R25,000 trauma cover and R300,000 private hospital cover.
According to Vischer uKheshe Health Benefits was launched as a component of uKheshe's "Financial Inclusion" strategy.
"Facing any health-related issue can be extremely traumatic. uKheshe Health makes what is usually a very stressful and costly experience, easy and affordable," concluded Hayward.