Medical aids are saving a lot of money because elective surgeries and visits to doctors and specialists have dramatically declined as a result of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
On the other hand, the hospitalisation of one Covid-19 patient costs R85 000 (excluding hospital costs). This is about three times the cost of typical hospital admissions.
Ryan Noach, the CEO of Discovery Health, said that the virus would be with us for some time, so its impact on medical aids this year and next year should be taken into account.