Health insurance checklist
10 questions before you sign
Short answerChecked 23 September 2026
Print it or keep it on your phone, and go through it with the insurer or broker before you pay. Each point links to the rules for your country below.
- You know what the public scheme (SHA, NHIF, CBHI or social health insurance in Ethiopia…) already covers for you — and in South Africa, what your medical scheme must pay as Prescribed Minimum Benefits.
- Inpatient limit per person and per family.
- Outpatient, maternity, dental and optical: included or optional?
- Waiting periods, and how pre-existing and chronic conditions are treated.
- The hospital and clinic network near you, where you do not pay first.
- Co-payment on each bill.
- Age limits at renewal, and what happens to children's cover.
- What is excluded — read the list.
- How to claim, and how long reimbursement takes.
- The insurer is licensed by your country's regulator.
The rules in your country
- Health insurance in Kenya: SHA, private medical cover and employee health insuranceKenya
- Health insurance in Uganda: how medical cover works while the national scheme waitsUganda
- NHIF Tanzania and health insurance: rates, universal cover, ZHSF and private plansTanzania
- Health insurance in Ethiopia: CBHI, social health insurance and private coverEthiopia
- Social health insurance in Ethiopia (SHI): who must join, who pays and where it stands in 2026Ethiopia
- Medical aid in South Africa: the 16 open schemes, what it costs and how to compareSouth Africa
- Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs): what every medical aid must paySouth Africa
- Medical aid in Botswana: BOMAID, Pula, BPOMAS and Botsogo comparedBotswana
- Health insurance in Ghana: NHIS and the licensed private schemesGhana
- Health insurance in Malawi: public care, medical aid and private coverMalawi
- Medical aid in Namibia: funds, members and your rightsNamibia
- Health insurance in Nigeria: NHIA, HMOs and state schemesNigeria
- Health insurance in Rwanda: mutuelle, RSSB, MMI and private coverRwanda
- Health insurance in Zambia: NHIMA and private medical coverZambia
- Health insurance in Zimbabwe: medical aid societies and health coverZimbabwe