South Africa's first independent medical aid quote site is launchedIn a joint statement made in 2005 the Council for Medical Schemes and the Department of Health acknowledged the important educational role the intermediary/broker played and said that consumers faced immense difficulties in obtaining independent and sound advice on available health products. Information from medical aid schemes is often confusing and complicated. The responsibility of the intermediary/broker is to sell clients solutions with regard to medical schemes, not products. Since the implementation of the new Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS) in 2002, the consumer has also been protected. This legislation aims to regulate the giving of advice and rendering of intermediary services to prospective clients. The question that needs to be asked here, is what the role of the intermediary is in this process and what after-sales service must be provided. The message is clear: the intermediary needs to provide individuals with the opportunity to make the right choices and must educate and empower clients with accurate and objective information that will enable them to make an informed decision. Clients have been complaining about the same issues for years now - “Medical schemes are too expensive, we do not understand the medical aid jargon and we do not know what we are signing up for”. This is where MEDQUOTE will assist clients. The largest selection of medical schemes and their comparative plans and benefits are available online at www.medquote.co.za. MEDQUOTE is the initiative and driving force of Optivest Health Services. Optivest is a leading corporate health consultancy that specialises in providing objective, independent healthcare consultation services. Optivest, the leader in its field, is licensed with the Financial Services Board (FSB) as a Financial Service Provider for health benefits and is accredited with the Council for Medical Schemes. MEDQUOTE is a one-stop shop where an individual will receive a comparative quote based on the details entered and where the client can compare the various schemes and benefits with one another, comparing the proverbial “apples with apples”. Editorial contact Anita de Jongh |