What is Universal Health Coverage Day?

Universal Health Coverage Day aims to raise awareness about the need for health services, which includes prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care for all people without the risk of undue financial hardship when trying to access such healthcare. The campaign seeks to rally support and action by government and role-players for better health coverage across the world by 2030. To this end, advocates of the movement share the stories of millions of people who are desperately in need of quality healthcare. Says Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, “Universal health coverage is integral to delivering Sustainable Development Goals, our blueprint of a better future for people and planet. On this International Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to health for all as an investment in humanity, wellbeing and prosperity for everyone.”

More South Africans are choosing health insurance for affordable healthcare

According to a report by Statistica, in 2018, 16.4% of South Africans were covered by a medical aid scheme. For many cash-strapped South Africans, given the current economic hardships faced in the country, medical aid remains an unaffordable luxury. However, there is a solution for quality healthcare in the form of health insurance, which has seen more people from the lower income bracket selecting this cost-effective option to ensure they are covered for comprehensive health insurance covering basic medical, specialist and in-hospital benefits.

Health insurance is a relatively new concept in the country and is proving to be an alternative to medical aid. It covers a list of preselected benefits with a monetary value attached to each of these. It’s best for day-to-day medical expenses, which are serviced through its network of approved suppliers, and also provides limited hospital cover. The policies even cover death and funeral cover.

About Bloom Financial Services, trusted Momentum partner

Bloom Financial Services, a health insurance broker, was launched this year and has partnered with Momentum’s Health4Me. The company is committed to improving the lives of South Africans through health and aims to make private healthcare more accessible and affordable to its policyholders by offering medical insurance policies.

Says Bloom Managing Director, John Kruger, “Improving the lives of our customers is an ambitious goal that cannot be achieved without the right partner, which is why we chose to partner with Momentum to deliver the Health4Me healthcare solution. We fully endorse the United Nations’ Universal Health Coverage Day and support the goal of developing quality healthcare solutions for our citizens with a goal to have more South Africans with healthcare cover by 2030.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that one of the key factors needed for universal health coverage is affordability. This means that a system is needed for financing health services so that people do not suffer undue financial hardship when trying to pay for or access quality healthcare services. The WHO goes on to state that “universal health coverage forms a critical component for a country’s sustainable development and poverty reduction, a key element to reducing social inequality.” While universal health coverage cannot be achieved overnight, the United Nations and the WHO urge countries to take the steps necessary to achieving this goal in the future.

Momentum Health4Me – the affordable healthcare solution

Momentum’s Health4Me is an affordable healthcare solution for individuals and families. It offers value for money and is very reliable, having its roots in Momentum’s extensive experience and knowledge of the South African healthcare industry and with a strong network of expert providers. Bloom has also partnered with Baby Yum Yum, one of the Number One Parenting Portals in South African, which is a multi-dimensional platform created to provide support, assistance and learnings to new moms and parents.

For more information about Bloom Financial Services’ Health4Me healthcare options, visit their website at www.mybloom.co.za; and for more information about how you can help with Universal Health Coverage Day, visit their dedicated page at: universalhealthcoverageday.org.