Bonitas Member Magazine B-Living - Issue 2

In May, we enhanced our managed care programmes with the addition of the Bonitas Diabetes Management Programme. The new programme replaces the services previously off ered by the CDE. It addresses all medical needs with holistic quality care for patients with diabetes. The programme aims to help members better understand this long-term condition and to empower them to make healthy decisions. You can learn more about diabetes on page 15. We’re working towards improving things for you The last few months have seen a flurry of activity at Bonitas and the healthcare industry as a whole. The Demarcation Act was amended, stipulating that the regulations around gap cover and health insurance products such as hospital cash back plans, would be subject to more rigorous legislative requirements and monitoring from the Council for Medical Schemes from 1 April 2017. We welcome these changes as they help protect consumers. We are pleased to announce that we won the Medical Aid Category in the Ask Afrika Kasi Star Brands Award. These awards are independently measured and awarded based on a series of market research factors including surveying over 4 000 people. Nearly 3 000 brands were evaluated across 144 categories, and Bonitas emerged victorious. At an economic level, the country was downgraded to junk status which compounded factors such as unemployment and the cost of living. This fi rmly highlights the importance of implementing initiatives that will assist in managing future claims costs without impacting the quality of benefi ts that our members enjoy. This includes clarity on our hospital negotiations (see page 13) and enhanced protocols to detect healthcare fraud, waste and abuse (see page 27). These initiatives will result in savings of over R500 million in the next three years, which will go a long way in managing future contribution increases. Page 3 With the colder weather setting in, our feature on winter wellness (page 19) could not come at a better time. Get tips on how to beat the flu and stay well during winter as well as superfoods you can eat to boost your health and immune system. We care about you and your loved ones, so equipping you with information to treat common baby ailments such as fevers, teething and colic is of utmost importance. See page 8 for more information. Our new corporate social investment initiative, Just In Case, aims to provide school safety talks to 67 schools located across South Africa. Please see page 12 to fi nd out how you can be part of the action and nominate a school in your area to benefi t from this initiative. Just In Case will educate children and teenagers on various safety elements including fi rst aid, preventing drowning and how to react if someone is choking. Ensuring our members are informed and educated on all things medical aid is of paramount to delivering benefi ts and plans to you. As a result, we urge you to update your contact details with us to make sure you are kept abreast of any changes or enhancements. As always we are committed to keeping you and your family in good health and supporting you with healthcare of the highest quality. Gerhard Gerhard van Emmenis Acting Principal Oﬃ cer B-Living Issue 2, 2017

Bonitas Member Magazine B-Living - Issue 2 | Page 4