How to be an Expat, When You Aren't Technically An Expat (Part 2 - Health Insurance)

​Over the last few weeks, we here at Not Another Damn Travel Blog have been receiving quite the positive accolades in regard to recent posts, especially those focused on our travels in and around the desolate dunes of Namibia. Thanks in part to this feedback, as well as our newly-created solely-represented fan club (congrats Melissa!), we have decided to completely tone down the expectations, and go back to the basics – Informative, yet relatively unexciting posts about the fundamental aspects of life in South Africa.

Thus, without further ado, please get comfortable. Kick up your feet. Adjust that toilet seat, on which you have been sitting for much too long. And enjoy the next part in our TBD-part series – How to be an Expat, When You Aren’t Technically an Expat:

Lesson #2 - Health Insurance

• Overview = The system put in place to help patients cover their Healthcare-related costs, or more applicably, deny Healthcare-related costs, due to that ingrown toenail you had when you were 8.

 

• Why do we need it? As someone who has sampled the delicacy that is a parasite from multiple continents, I can attest first-hand, access to healthcare is not only a lifesaver, it also prevents an inordinate amount of time spent wasting away on a porcelain throne. Oh yeah, and also COVID. Apparently, it is still “a thing.”

 

• Primary Difference to US System – With South Africa providing a “two-tier” healthcare system -- One being one of the worst in the world, the other being one of the best, it is no surprise the end results are just a tad different:
  • Public Healthcare System (80% of population) = FREE! NO insurance required! However, your spleen was just removed after you went in for an appendectomy. 19 months after you joined the waiting list. And your appendix still hurts. And you want your spleen back. But hey, free is free, right?
  • Private Healthcare System (20% of population) = NOT FREE! Insurance (i.e. “Medical Aid”) required... kinda of? But here is the weird thing, you don’t have to have a job to purchase insurance. AND it’s actually fairly affordable (~$150/person/month). I know, super weird. Thanks, Obama.

 

• Roll-Your-Eyes-at-the-USA Cost Comparison:
  • Physician Visit/Consultation – RSA = $25 / USA = $100 (not to worry though, even though it is a bit cheaper in RSA, you are still afforded the HIPAA-inspired tradition of waiting for 45 minutes after the originally-scheduled start time of your appointment)
  • Hospital Overnight Stay – RSA = ~$250/night / USA = $12,500/night (I assume it’s the TV with no volume and a remote that barely functions which makes it more costly in the States? That or the jello. Now that I think about, it’s gotta be the jello)
  • Labor & Delivery (2 Nights, C-Section w/Epidural) – RSA = $2,400 / USA = $50,000 (This one is tough to figure out. Yes, you are getting an extra day of jello. But even that can’t be more than $5,000? So, I’m gonna go with the standard blue/red-striped “receiving” blanket. That’s gotta cost at least $35,000 if I’m doing my math correctly). Also, as an added bonus, all babies born in Africa receive the following “welcoming”

 

• Our Personal Experience = Like anything one needs to research ad naseum, we turned to the ultimate source of truth (and more prevalent, non-truths) - Al Gore's "The Interweb." Yet, unlike the US, where thousands of "opinion sites" are available, each allowing users the ability to confirm their theory that the moon landing actually occurred in a Walmart parking lot in Tallahassee, South Africa is fortunately (?) a bit more limited. And by limited, there seems to be really only 2 available options -- Reddit and MyBroadband Forum (aka AOL Chatroom 2.0). And as expected, most opinions shared on these sites cover the standard "internet spectrum of opinions" (i.e. “unbelievably amazing!” to “absolutely horrible!”).
• With the internet failing us spectacularly, we decided our next best approach was to go with a tried and tested one -- "Go big or go home." Thus, we opted for Discovery Health, the largest provider in South Africa, to meet our if-we-actually-use-this-something-is-definitely-wrong healthcare needs.
• After a 15-minute conversation that essentially involved me saying “no” to a list of 237 potential pre-existing conditions (which apparently only delays your application, and does not necessarily deny it), we were officially signed up to spend $450/month on something we will probably only resort to needing if “Brave Lincoln” takes his bravery into the bounds of broken-bone territory. Which, has about as much likelihood of happening as Michigan does in beating Ohio State this year (i.e. not impossible, but let’s be honest, probably not going to transpire).

 
In summary, while Health Insurance isn’t necessarily required for your day-to-day-healthcare-related needs, especially with out-of-pocket expenses being relatively affordable (i.e. no jello, remember?), it’s still probably a good idea to obtain, especially if you are able to afford it (since unfortunately most in this country cannot). And thus concludes the lesson. Gold stars to all who made it this point (i.e. Melissa). Participation awards for everyone else (i.e. the non-Melissa’s).

Next Blog Post: TBD (although I imagine it will have something to do with us finding a place to live, a car to drive, and a school to drop the kids off for a brief reprieve back to sanity)