Our website is best
viewed in portrait

A medical scheme is obligated to provide members with proof after their membership is activated, or if a change is made to their membership (option change, adding a dependant to an existing membership etc.). Currently, the Scheme only has one template to use as a membership certificate.

Now, we’re proud to introduce two types of certificates to confirm a member’s status: The Certificate of Membership and the Proof of Membership. Each version is designed with a specific purpose and privacy in mind to ensure we share only the necessary information, while upholding our commitment to data protection.

The main reason for the change is to strengthen the protection of the Scheme and ensure our communication aligns with best practices for safeguarding personal information.

1. Proof of Membership (POM)
This certificate serves as formal confirmation that the person is an active member of a medical scheme. This is issued when they:

• join as a new member.
• add an additional dependant to an existing membership.

2. Certificate of Membership (COM) (evidence when transferring between medical schemes or after terminating a specific dependant)
When switching to a new medical scheme or terminating a dependant, the certificate is used to:

• prove that the person was a member of a medical scheme.
• avoid unnecessary waiting periods at the new scheme.
• validate continuity of cover that might impact late-joiner penalty calculations.

One of the key improvements in the new COM template is that it will only display information related to the specific dependant whose membership was terminated. The current version includes details for all remaining dependants too, which results in unnecessary oversharing.

This change is a significant enhancement that strengthens privacy protection and ensures we only share information that is relevant and appropriate.

Important to note

The Certificate of Membership is only issued once a thorough quality assurance process has been completed. This ensures that any applicable underwriting has been correctly applied and that the request fully aligns with our system records before any confirmation is released. This is because the Membership team strives for exceptional quality in everything we deliver.

Currently, a copy of the certificate is issued to the member, the advisor (if applicable) and the HR contact listed on the payer screen under the alternate contacts tab (if set-up is done). The current version shared with the payer includes sensitive condition specific waiting periods, which are personal and should not be disclosed.

The good news is that the new template will remove all condition specific waiting periods from the payer version, ensuring member privacy is protected, while still providing the necessary confirmation of membership.

The current Certificate of Membership only shows a total premium. The new version shows the premium on dependant-level.

This is pretty cool. 👌

 

In the current template, the underwriting section is only briefly explained at the end of the document. The new version provides a clearer and more detailed explanation of what the underwriting section entails, making it much easier for members and stakeholders to understand.