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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Explain Healthcare Benefits Administration in South Africa 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
8991  Explain Healthcare Benefits Administration in South Africa 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Financial Services 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies Finance, Economics and Accounting 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 3  NQF Level 03 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Registered" 
2001-10-10  2004-08-11  SAQA 0538/01 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2005-08-11   2008-08-11  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard is replaced by: 
US ID Unit Standard Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Credits Replacement Status
114972  Explain healthcare benefits administration in South Africa  Level 3  NQF Level 03   

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard introduces the concepts of healthcare benefits administration and provides a broad introduction to healthcare administration to enable learners to be informed workers in the industry.

The qualifying learners is capable of:
  • Explaining medical insurance and the products classified as medical
  • Comparing medical schemes and medical cover.
  • Knowing what healthcare benefits administrators do with policy holders' money.
  • Asking questions to obtain information.
  • Using the Government Gazette to find information.
  • Explaining how medical schemes are regulated in South Africa. 

  • LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    There is open access to this unit standard. Learners should be competent in communication and Mathematical Literacy at Level 2. 

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    The typical scope of this unit standard is:

    1. Medical cover and medical insurance as marketed Healthcare Benefits Administrators in South Africa.
    2. Legislation the Medical Schemes Act and Regulations. 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Explain healthcare benefits. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. Providers, members, healthcare benefits administrators and healthcare consultants are indicated as the players in the healthcare benefits market. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. The place of healthcare benefits is understood and reasons are given to explain why healthcare benefits administration is classified as long term. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. The different classes of healthcare benefits are named and compared in terms of the different products marketed. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    4. The difference between closed and open schemes is explained and reasons are given to explain why some public bodies and industrial concerns choose closed rather than open schemes. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    5. Reasons are given for taking out healthcare cover for two different types of benefit. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Compare medical insurance and medical scheme cover. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. The concepts of medical schemes and medical insurance are explained with examples of each. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. Products marketed as medical insurance are researched and two similar products are compared in terms of security for the customer. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. Products marketed as medical scheme cover are researched and two similar products are compared in terms of security for the customer. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    4. The needs of the customer and the risks that the customer is prepared to take are considered and a list is compiled of questions to ask of a broker about a product. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    5. A personal decision is made as to whether medical insurance or medical scheme cover best provides for own needs. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Explain what healthcare benefit administrators do with policyholders' money. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. Different avenues of investment are named and compared from a healthcare benefits administration perspective. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. The concepts of threshold and medical savings accounts as applied in new generation products are explained with reference to the role of managed care in minimising costs and optimising the quality of care. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. The purpose of excluding the pharmacological treatment of certain expensive chronic medical conditions for the first twelve months of membership is explained with reference to the purpose/role in minimising financial risk. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    4. Transacting risk transfer through a reinsurance company is explained with reference to the advantages and disadvantages to the member and the scheme. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    5. Treaty reinsurance and facultative reinsurance as they apply in healthcare benefits administration are explained and compared with examples of each. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Explain the ways in which healthcare benefits administrators are regulated. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. The Regulations to the Medical Schemes Act are identified with reference to their application in selected schemes. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. The role of the Department of Health in healthcare benefit administration is explained and an indication is given of how the Department of Health has positively and negatively affected healthcare benefits administration. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. The concept of minimum benefits is explained with reference to current legislation. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    4. The role of the Board of Health Care Funders' is explained in terms of its control of the industry. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 5 
    5. The relationship of the South African Medical Association to healthcare benefits administrators is outlined and an explanation is give as to how decisions are made that affect the two organisations. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 6 
    6. The Government Gazette is used to access information applicable to medical schemes. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 7 
    7. The role of the Council of Medical Schemes and the Appeal Board in regulating healthcare benefit administration is described in terms of monitory accreditations and appeals. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
    This unit standard will be internally assessed by the provider and moderated by a moderator registered by INSQA or a relevant accredited ETQA. The mechanisms and requirements for moderation are contained in the document obtainable from INSQA, - INSQA framework for assessment and moderation. 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Learners are able to identify and solve problems when identifying reasons for taking out healthcare cover for 2 different types of benefits. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO ORGANISING 
    Learners are able to organise and manage themselves effectively by becoming responsible citizens when making personal decisions regarding their medical cover. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Learners can communicate effectively using visual, mathematics and language skills to indicate, compare and present their conclusions in the activities required by the unit standard. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Learners are able to demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems when explaining ways in which healthcare benefits administrators are regulated. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO CONTRIBUTING 
    Learners are able to act as responsible citizens in the organisation and local community when researching and comparing medical cover for products relating to customer security. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    This unit standard has been replaced by unit standard 114972, which is "Explain Healthcare Benefits Administration in South Africa", Level 3, 2 credits, as from 11 Aug 2004 

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  20177   National Certificate: Insurance  Level 3  NQF Level 03  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Registered" 
    2004-10-10  Was INSETA until Last Date for Achievement 
    Core  20639   National Certificate: Healthcare Benefits Administration: Claims Assessing  Level 4  NQF Level 04  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Registered" 
    2004-12-05  INSETA 
    Elective  48493   National Certificate: Financial Services: Wealth Management  Level 4  NQF Level 04  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Registered" 
    2007-02-11  Was INSETA until Last Date for Achievement 
    Elective  20773   National Certificate: Long Term Insurance  Level 4  NQF Level 04  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Registered" 
    2004-12-05  INSETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. Faisit (Pty) Ltd 



    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.