Some posters here are already pregnant and now frantically "phoning around" for medical cover. This post is directed at them. Do the math : if you've only been on the scheme for, say, 5 months, then you've only paid a contribution for 5 months. Yet now you want to claim in excess of R25,000 because now it suits you. Some of us, myself included, have been faithfully making payments for the past 30 years, have never had children, have never claimed large amounts from the medical aid besides the occasional GP visit or dentist check-up, but you feel quite comfortable that the funds for your pregnancy and delivery should come from what we've contributed over the past 30 years. Because it suits you. But that's how society works : there will always be givers and there will always be takers.
Yes, state hospitals are less than pleasant. But you get what you pay for, don't you? If you have not been paying medical aid contributions before your pregnancy, then you can't expect medical aid to cover your bills now.