Health:
How Medical Aid Schemes Manage Chronic Medication
Managing chronic medication is one of the most important services provided by medical aid schemes. Although each has their own process, this is a general guide as to how that process typically works:
- Registration of a chronic condition: Members must apply to have their chronic condition registered with the scheme. This ensures that the medication is covered under the Chronic Disease List (CDL) or the scheme’s specific benefit rules. If this isn’t done your medicine, even though it may be chronic, will be paid from your day-to-day or savings component.
- Approval of treatment plan: Once registered, the scheme reviews the doctor’s prescription and treatment plan. Approval is based on clinical guidelines to ensure the medication is appropriate and cost‑effective.
- Designated service providers (DSPs): Many schemes require members to obtain their chronic medication from designated pharmacies or providers. This helps manage costs and ensures consistent supply.
- Monthly authorisation and dispensing: Chronic medication is usually authorised for a set period (six months to a year). Members then collect their medication monthly, with the scheme covering the approved cost.
- Monitoring and compliance: Schemes often track usage to ensure members remain compliant with treatment. Regular check‑ups or updated prescriptions may be required to continue cover.
By registering your chronic condition and following the scheme’s procedures, you ensure uninterrupted access to essential medication while keeping costs under control. Always keep your prescriptions up to date and use the designated providers to avoid unexpected expenses.
Wealth:
Why Full Disclosure Matters on Risk Applications
When applying for life cover, disability cover, income protection or severe illness cover, honesty is not just important – it’s essential.
Your insurer relies on accurate information. The details you provide form the basis of your risk assessment. If information is withheld, the insurer cannot correctly evaluate your application and offer you cover which you may not have been entitled to should you have disclosed all the information required.
Non‑disclosures can invalidate claims. If a claim arises and it’s discovered that material facts were not disclosed, the insurer may reject the claim. This could leave you or your family without the financial protection you expected. In many of these cases the insurance company gets the blame when, in fact, the client was at fault for not disclosing information which may have affected the outcome of the application.
Transparency protects you. By disclosing all relevant medical, lifestyle, and financial information upfront, you ensure that your cover is valid and enforceable when you need it most.
It’s a legal requirement: Insurance contracts are built on the principle of utmost good faith. Both parties must act honestly and disclose all material facts.
Always provide complete and accurate information when completing a risk application. Doing so safeguards your cover, ensures claims are paid when needed, and gives you peace of mind knowing your insurer stands behind you.
Short Term:
Certificates of Compliance and why they matter in Insurance.
What is a Certificate of Compliance (COC)?
Simply put it is an official safety certificate required for all Electrical & Gas installations within South Africa. By obtaining a COC your installer is guaranteeing the installation meets the National safety standards (SANS) which is mandatory in ensuring your policy responds at claims stage. COC requirements are applicable to both private/residential and commercial operating risks.
Who issues a COC?
Only registered Electricians and Gas installers can issue COC’s after they have inspected and tested the new installation/s.
- Any modifications to existing features require a supplementary COC
- For property transfers, a new COC will only be required if the previous certificates is older than 2 years
What if I cannot produce a COC at claims stage?
You are at risk of having your insurance claim rejected. COCs often detect wiring issues or malfunctions of ‘older’ installations which are no longer SANS regulated and which if rectified, can assist mitigate a loss. This is why COCs are becoming increasingly necessary within the insurance and retail (property transfer) industries.
Want peace of mind?
By obtaining a COC, you are protecting your home, your investment and providing assurance that your risk remains compliant with your insurer.
For a more detailed guidance on COC checklists composed by the Electrical Conformance Board of SA, as well as an example of a valid COC document, the following links are available Guide to the Electrical Certificate of Compliance (CoC) – Electrical Conformance Board OHS Act 1993 – Electrical Installation Regulations >> .
Still unsure about COCs? Reach out to the Multitrust Short Term Division — let our experts guide you.
Tax:
SARS Tightens Rules on Non‑Resident Tax Status
South Africans living abroad should be aware that the South African Revenue Service (SARS) is stepping up its scrutiny of taxpayers claiming non‑resident status. A new verification process now includes a detailed set of 17 questions, going far beyond simply confirming whether someone has left the country.
What’s Changing
Traditionally, proving non‑residency meant presenting a foreign tax residency certificate, updating SARS records, and showing physical departure. However, SARS is now adopting a more rigorous approach. Instead of focusing only on travel dates or passport stamps, the authority is examining the broader picture of a taxpayer’s life.
The 17 Questions
The questions cover areas such as:
- Where your spouse and family live
- Location of your personal belongings
- Immigration status in your new country
- Banking, employment, and business interests
- Social and community ties abroad
This reflects international “tie‑breaker” rules found in Double Tax Agreements (DTAs), which decide residency when two countries could both claim you as a tax resident. SARS is clearly aligning its process with these treaty provisions.
Why It Matters
A common misconception is that tax residency ends automatically once you leave South Africa. In reality, physical departure is only one factor. If you still have strong personal, economic, or family ties in South Africa, SARS may consider you resident for tax purposes. Conversely, if your centre of life has genuinely shifted abroad, you may qualify for non‑resident status.
What to Expect
Taxpayers relying on DTAs should prepare for more evidence‑based assessments. SARS is increasingly requesting supporting documents and conducting detailed reviews of personal circumstances. The message is clear: proof of departure or a foreign tax certificate alone may not be enough.
Key Takeaway
If you are living and working abroad, ensure you can demonstrate—through documentation and facts—that your personal and financial ties are firmly rooted outside South Africa. SARS is no longer asking only whether you’ve left; it wants to know where your life is truly centred.