TymeBank has partnered with National HealthCare Group to launch TymeHealth – an app-based offering that provides medical insurance.

Pricing for the service will start from R139 a month, with the bank targeting the large group of South Africans that are unable to afford medical aid.

The plans provide for the needs of underinsured South Africans or those looking for a supplementary day-to-day product to complement their existing hospital plan, it said.

TymeBank said there will be three different plans available on TymeHealth, each designed to cater for different life stages or needs.

• MediClub Connect is the lowest-tier option and covers basic GP, basic pathology, basic radiology, basic dentistry and other visits from R139 per month;
• MediClub Premier offers extended services such as chronic medication and specialist visits from R299 per month;
• MediClub Elite offers the widest coverage from R399 per month.

Depending on the exact plan, the bank said it will offer coverage for:

• GP visits
• Pathology
• Radiology
• Acute medication
• Chronic medication
• Dentistry
• Optometry
• HIV blood tests
• Specialist visits
• Emergency transport
• Accidental hospitalisation
• Emergency casualty cover
• Accidental death benefit

Consumers wanting to apply for TymeHealth need to do so using the TymeBank app, which means they must sign up as customers. They are then prompted to choose the plan that best meets their needs.

Once the application is successful, membership is activated seamlessly through members’ mobile devices and they can then access over 12,000 registered healthcare providers, including GPs, pharmacies, dentists, optometrists, specialists and hospitals countrywide through the extensive National HealthCare Group provider network.

“Our country has a population of just over 60-million people, and the dire reality is only one in seven South Africans have access to medical aid, and most people cannot afford private healthcare,” said Tauriq Keraan, TymeBank chief executive.

“With TymeHealth, an initiative in collaboration with the National HealthCare Group, we are making it possible for more South Africans to have access to affordable, quality healthcare.”

More details about the service are available through its website here.