Dial Direct Protection Plus Policy

When Dial Direct insurance launched in South Africa over three years ago, one of the products that it was proud to promote was its Protection Plus policy which is catered to South Africans who are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

With the AIDS epidemic being as prolific as it is in South Africa (approximately 1000 new cases are reported each week), it makes perfect sense that one of South Africa's largest insurance companies offers an insurance policy to assist people in the event they be accidentally exposed to the HIV virus.

Unfortunately, statistics show that in South Africa one out of every four women will be raped during their lifetime and three out of a hundred men will be raped in their lifetime. In fact, in South Africa a person is raped about every 25 seconds.

Dial Direct's Protection Plus policy is designed to offer people immediate treatment in the event that they are accidentally exposed to HIV/AIDS. The way it works is that if a Dial Direct Protection Plus policy holder is exposed to HIV, they can Dial Direct's Care Centre within 72 hours and receive immediate care.

Protection Plus policy holders who have received post-exposure prophylactics (within 72 hours) have shown to have a 98% rate of success in terms of being negative.

Dial Direct Protection Plus policy holders who test negative for HIV, will receive prophylactic therapy as a preventative measure against sexually transmitted diseases and will be monitored for a three month period.

Policy holders who test positive for HIV will receive long-term over-the-phone counselling and advice, as well as the opportunity to enrol in an HIV/AIDS Disease Management Programme.

In addition, Protection Plus offers HIV positive patients and their immediate families a 'counselling benefit' to the value of R3000. Patients may use R1000 of this benefit for alternative therapy.