Hospital cash plans (HCPs) have emerged as an affordable risk cover for many low-income South Africans without access to medical aid. HCPs pay out a cash amount directly to the client on hospitalisation, rather than by providing comprehensive care cover. The increasing popularity of HCPs in South Africa have become the focus of an ongoing policy debate on the role of these and other medical insurance schemes.

This 2013 report tackles the consumer experience not documented before via a set of focus group discussions with current and potential HCP policyholders to provide a demand-side perspective to the policy question.

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