Medical aids are quite varied everywhere in the world; there are many different companies that offer a number of different medical aid schemes and packages that are generally aimed at a very broad demographic of the local population. Medical aids schemes in South Africa are very expensive for a great number of people within our population. This is because the number of medical aid providers was very limited for a number of years, something which is beginning to change now.

There is still a perception that medical aids are so expensive in South Africa and in many cases this is still quite true however there are a number of very good medical aid packages that have now been formulated with the vast majority of the population, the largest demographic segment in fact, in mind. The other part of the misnomer is that the medical aid quotes themselves are expensive; this is in fact not true as the vast majority of medical aid providers offer free quotes so the quote to get medical aid coverage is not expensive because it is in fact free.

Understandably many people are automatically put off by the high costs of medic aid schemes, it is easy to see why many people complain that medical aid quotes in South Africa are far too expensive but what many of these people also need to do is to examine the actual costs of medical attention without medical aid schemes to cushion the costs of medical attention. The sad fact of the matter is that medical attention, medicines, examinations, procedures and operations and hospital stays are unbelievably expensive and are really out of reach for most people without the assistance financially of a medical aid scheme.

The alternative to a medical aid of course is to seek government subsidised medical attention, this is for the vast majority of South African citizens the only real option. There is a drawback to government subsidised medical attention or so called free medical attention, quite simply because it is free the costs have to be of set so the government in this case has to sacrifice quality medical care and expensive equipment for a free service. The government or other non-profit organizations cannot offer a free medical service to most of the country and then still have a high standard similar or comparable to private medical services, it is just not possible.

Quite simply if you want medical attention and medical services that are superior to subsidized or free medical attention and services then quite frankly you have to pay for it and in most cases, pay a lot. Even though most of the medical aid schemes in South Africa are still out of the reach of most people other than the very rich there are still a number of medical aid schemes that are quite reasonable and quite competitive, offering a number of different levels of coverage at different costs.