ResQ Health FAQs
Compiled by Martin van der Westhuizen, RE1, RE5, Key Individual, ResQ Health (Pty) Ltd, FSP 53632.
Does ResQ Health cover a minor for a school hike or expedition?
Cover for minors depends on the specific policy and whether the minor is covered as a dependant on an existing policy or requires standalone cover. ResQ Health's underwriting team assesses standalone minor cover on a case-by-case basis. Evacuation cover from a remote location such as a mountain is a distinct benefit from general medical or health insurance and is not automatically included in standard home-market health insurance policies.
What is the difference between health insurance and evacuation insurance?
Health insurance covers the cost of medical treatment. Evacuation insurance covers the cost of transporting a person from the location of an incident, such as a mountain, remote trail, or foreign location, to a facility capable of treating them. A home-country health policy typically does not include evacuation cover for incidents abroad.
What is a UMA (Underwriting Manager)?
A UMA is a licensed entity that designs, prices, underwrites, and administers insurance products on behalf of a risk-carrying insurer, operating under a binder or mandate from that insurer. ResQ Health operates as a UMA and TPA across 14+ markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Ocean, and Asia.
Does a group need medical underwriting to get cover?
Groups of 10 or more principal members do not require individual medical underwriting. Groups of fewer than 10 principal members are subject to individual medical underwriting.
What is the digital wallet, and how does it work for outpatient care?
The digital wallet funds outpatient medical spend directly, without requiring a member to submit a claim and wait for reimbursement for routine outpatient care.
What is the difference between the Worldwide, Continental Africa, and Hospital and Evacuation options?
Worldwide provides global health cover. Continental Africa scopes health cover to the African continent. Hospital and Evacuation combines inpatient hospital cover with medical evacuation, without the broader outpatient benefits of the other two options.
Is inpatient care pre-authorised before treatment?
Yes. ResQ Health uses a 100% pre-authorisation model for inpatient claims, meaning inpatient treatment is authorised in advance rather than reimbursed after the fact.
Is outpatient cover priced differently from inpatient cover?
Yes. Outpatient cover is not risk-rated. Only inpatient pricing carries risk loading.
Which insurer underwrites ResQ Health policies?
Cover is provided through licensed local insurers in each market, including Britam. ResQ Health does not disclose other insurer, reinsurer, or platform partner names in public-facing content. Policies are positioned as "Managed by ResQ Health."
Which countries does ResQ Health operate in?
ResQ Health operates across 14+ markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Ocean, and Asia.