TYPICAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

IDENTIFICATION AND INFORMATION

CrisisOnCall's core service is an identification system that uses a unique wristband. This wristband allows paramedics and other emergency services to access your critical medical and personal information quickly, even if you are unable to communicate. This is especially important in a country like South Africa, where valuables like wallets and handbags can be stolen at accident scenes. Unfortunately, most people keep their medical aid card and similar important cards in their handbags or wallets, thus now wallet or handbag is equal to no identification or proof of medical aid membership

NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBER

Being a member of CrisisOnCall give you access to a single emergency number for multiple emergency situations. From the call centre we facilitate access to multiple assistance and support services that is managed by our multi-faceted call centre. No further need to remember contact numbers for everything. Store it on your CrisisOnCall profile and the contact centre will share what is needed with who needs to know.

Some key features of our services include:

·Trip Monitoring: A service that allows you and your loved ones to be contacted and tracked by your location during travel, providing peace of mind and triggering an alert if you go missing.

·Ambulance Services: Unlike most medical aids that contracts with one service provider, CrisisOnCall dispatches the nearest and most appropriate accredited ambulance service through the contact centre to you, ensuring a fast response. We use multiple ambulance providers because no single service can cover the entire country or always guarantee availability.

·National Emergency Service: The company provides a single emergency number to call for various crises, which is especially useful since a single, comprehensive national emergency number doesn't exist in South Africa.

CrisisOnCall renders services to all its members everywhere within the borders of South Africa.

Becoming a member of CrisisOnCall is easy. You can choose any of the following options:

·         Website: You can register electronically through the link: CrisisOnCall : Join CrisisOnCall Online

·         Telephonic: Call us on 0861574747  or 0123351880 during office hours

·         E-mail: Send an e-mail to hello@crisisoncall.co.za with your name and telephone number

·         SMS: Send a message to 48950 with your name and e-mail address

·         WhatsApp: Send a message to 48950 with your name and e-mail address

First, you must be a member. As a member of CrisisOnCall, you can contact us through one of the following channels:

·         Call the telephone number on your wristband:

o   The contact centre will identify you with the unique number on the back of your wristband and will ensure that services are rendered as soon as possible.

·         CrisisOnCall App:

o   Press one of the applicable buttons on the home screen:

§  We Call You: An agent from the contact centre will call you back swiftly.

§  You Call Us: You will go through to the contact centre.

§  Protect Me: If you are on one of the plans with the Protect Me offering, you will be able to press this button in an emergency.

Please do not contact the administration office during an emergency, as this will cause unnecessary delays.

Yes, the staff at the CrisisOnCall call centre are qualified. The call centre is managed by Customer Loyalty Consultants, and the staff includes professionals like lawyers, nurses, and EMS dispatchers who have extensive practical experience and regularly update their skills. The medical and legal personnel are registered with the necessary authorities and comply with national regulations, for example, paramedics are registered with the Health Professional Council of South Africa. All case managers are also well-equipped to handle emergencies.

CrisisOnCall does not own any ambulances, tow-in vehicles or other service vehicles, neither do we employ any staff that provide these services.

We make use of a vast network of private service providers throughout the country.

The reason for this is two-fold:

·         To ensure prompt arrival and to have a wider coverage area. No single service provider in South Africa can guarantee a 24/7/365 availability or cover the entire country. Many rural communities do not have any service from the major service providers situated in urban areas.

·         By using a network of providers, CrisisOnCall can dispatch the nearest accredited service provider to a patient, which is crucial in an emergency. In terms of medical emergencies, this approach is based on the principle that "TIME = LIFE," as a shorter response time can significantly improve a patient's outcome. We acknowledge that demand for service providers is unpredictable, and having multiple providers increases the chance that a service will be available when a patient needs it most.

CrisisOnCall only uses accredited service providers because they want to ensure that patients receive care from providers who adhere to minimum standards. The company does not want to risk dispatching a service that may not be up to par, as this could jeopardize the quality of the service or even endanger a life or property.

A CrisisOnCall member should not call a service provider directly. The company's policy is for members to always phone the CrisisOnCall emergency number or request a call back on the CrisisonCall app. The contact centre will facilitate any emergency or support services that you require.

The reason for this is that CrisisOnCall's contact centre is equipped to dispatch the nearest and most appropriate service provider and can offer necessary medical or other advice. Calling a service directly may delay help and could result in CrisisOnCall refusing to pay the services bill. The only exception to this rule is in the case of an accident, where an ambulance service on the scene will obtain authorization from CrisisOnCall after transporting the patient.

CrisisOnCall will cover the costs of support services under the following conditions:

• The member's monthly payment is current.
• The support was dispatched through the CrisisOnCall contact centre.

A member will be responsible for the costs if:

• They did not call the CrisisOnCall number for services (except for accidents where the service provider contacts CrisisOnCall when on scene).
• CrisisOnCall did not dispatch the service provider (except for accidents where the service provider contacts CrisisOnCall when on scene).
• The patient refuses transport to a hospital, in which case the member will be charged a call-out fee.
• Membership fees are not up to date.

It is necessary to wear your CrisisOnCall wristband because it can provide a direct link to your lifesaving medical information in an emergency. By calling the emergency number and quoting the unique number on the back of the wristband, paramedics can quickly access your medical history, including allergies and conditions. This ensures that you receive appropriate medical care and, if you have a medical aid, can be transported to a private hospital. The wristband can become a lifesaver by providing critical information when you are unable to speak for yourself.

No, schools do not have the right to stop children from wearing their CrisisOnCall wristbands. The wristband is classified as a medical wristband, and legally, no one can be stopped from wearing a medical wristband.

·Paramedics and other service providers are informed about CrisisOnCall.

·CrisisOnCall regularly provides information about its services and identification items to ambulance services, the South African Police, the Fire Brigade, and tow-in services.

·Paramedics are also trained on the CrisisOnCall identification system and are given useful information and equipment to assist with identification.

However, CrisisOnCall states that it cannot be held liable if a medical staff member ignores the wristband or is unaware of its use, despite the frequent information provided.

Medical aid companies do not offer the same services as CrisisOnCall. By law, medical aids can only provide benefits that are directly linked to medical aspects. This means they cannot offer non-medical support services like a general crisis line, trip monitoring, legal advice, or roadside assistance.

The CrisisOnCall identification system is designed to "bridge the gap" between an incident and a medical aid. It ensures that critical medical information is available to first responders, which is a major problem highlighted in the media, where the absence of a medical aid card or information could be a matter of life or death.

A medical aid sticker is not an effective way to supply information during an accident.

·They don't contain crucial medical details like your member number or other vital information.

·Stickers with QR codes are not very effective either, as they are tied to a specific vehicle, and paramedics and tow-in services may not have the time to scan and wait for information.

·CrisisOnCall highlights that in serious trauma situations, a medical aid card and a sticker are often not enough, and the lack of readily available information can have serious consequences.

·During accidents, people can become detached from their vehicle and or valuables, rendering matching the vehicle and the patient a very difficult task.

·Medical aid cards are often kept in a wallet and matching the individual with the correct wallet can be difficult and time consuming.

·Valuables often get stolen on accident scenes and then there is no access to the medical aid card in the wallet.

Crash detectors are installed on vehicles with the limited purpose of notifying a call centre of a possible accident at a position determined by the crash detector. CrisisOnCall, on the other hand, provides benefits that work "side by side" with a crash detector by focusing on the individual rather than just the vehicle. The CrisisOnCall wristband links critical information to a specific patient, ensuring that vital details are available regardless of the nature of the incident.

Using a vehicle's registration number to get patient information is not very effective. A study by an advisory body on identification methods found several reasons for this, highlighting that the effectiveness of this method is very low.

Reasons for Ineffectiveness

·Vehicle Owner vs. Occupants: The owner of the vehicle is often not the driver or one of the passengers. It's difficult to establish a connection between the owner's information and the other occupants of the vehicle.

·Company and Trust Vehicles: Many vehicles are registered to a company or a trust, not an individual, making it impossible to identify a specific person from the registration number.

·Occupants Thrown from Vehicle: During a collision, occupants can be ejected from the vehicle, making it hard to link them to a specific car. The number plates can also become detached from the vehicle.

·Non-Vehicle Incidents: A significant number of incidents that require information do not happen inside a vehicle.

In an accident where multiple people were thrown from their cars, a paramedic noted that it was "just an educated guess as to who was in which car," demonstrating the unreliability of using a number plate for identification.

No, you do not need to have a medical aid membership to become a member of CrisisOnCall. The service is available to everyone residing in South Africa, regardless of their medical aid or insurance status.

No, keeping medical information on a cell phone is not effective for use in an emergency. There are several reasons for this:

·Identification issues: A cellphone cannot always be reliably linked to a specific person.

·Theft and damage: At the scene of an accident, a cellphone could be stolen or damaged or separated from the owner, making the information inaccessible.

·Security locks: Many phones are secured with a PIN, password, or biometrically, which prevents emergency responders from accessing the information.

In life-threatening emergencies, CrisisOnCall's policy is to transport a member by road or air to the nearest, most appropriate, and available hospital that can manage their specific medical condition. This policy aligns with the protocol set by the Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA), which requires patients to be taken to the nearest suitable medical facility.

The decision to transport a patient by air is made promptly by the medical staff at the call centre, who are informed of the situation by the on-scene paramedic. This decision is based on standard medical protocols.

Trip Monitoring is the most used service offered by CrisisOnCall. Clients frequently use this service when they are traveling long distances. It provides peace of mind to both the traveller and their next of kin by ensuring that someone knows their general location. Members can also nominate a next of kin to receive an SMS confirmation once they have safely reached their destination.

No, you do not have to specify a vehicle to arrange roadside assistance.

CrisisOnCall may cover the costs of the services in the following situations:

·The member’s premiums are up to date.

·The cause of need for support occurred along the official road network in RSA

·Vehicle belongs to a member that are on one of the plans that includes roadside assistance to qualify for roadside benefits. Plans with roadside assistance include:

o   Travel Care

o   Elite Care

o   Ultimate Care

·Service was arranged by contacting the call centre.

·Yearly limits apply to roadside assistance. Refer to your specific product plan for the specific limit that applies.

·Only roadworthy and licensed vehicles are covered.

No cover will apply in the following circumstances:

·Vehicles belonging to someone who is not a member of CrisisOnCall.

·Vehicles used exclusively for business purposes

·Vehicles belonging to a member of CrisisOnCall that is on a plan that do not have roadside assistance as a benefit.

·Vehicles with a GVM of more than 3500 kg.

·Non-roadworthy vehicles.

·Non-licensed vehicles.

·Vehicles that have been involved in an accident.

·Pothole damages that caused exterior damage to the vehicle.

·When you have reached your yearly limit, we will assist in arranging for roadside assistance, but the member will have to cover the costs.

·Vehicles were damaged during participation in sporting activities.

No, if you are on one of the plans that cover roadside assistance, you will be covered on any of your vehicles.

The following plans have roadside assistance benefit included:

·Travel Care

·Elite Care

·Ultimate Care

Please note that limits and terms and conditions apply.

No, when you are registered on the following plans, you are entitled to roadside assistance regardless of the vehicle that you are driving:

·Travel Care

·Elite Care

·Ultimate Care

The benefit is linked to the person driving the vehicle and not to the vehicle itself.

The driver of the vehicle at the time of the incident, must be you or one of your registered beneficiaries on your profile. If not, the benefit will not apply.

No, you cannot register your vehicle for roadside assistance for only a short period, such as during a holiday.

With the new service plans, roadside assistance services are linked to specific plans and not vehicles. The key is thus to register for a plan that includes roadside assistance. 

A member qualifies for CrisisOnCall benefits under the following conditions:

·Their monthly premiums are paid up to date.

·They must call the CrisisOnCall emergency number (0800 101 911) to request services.

·The member will have access to the specific benefits included in the selected member package. Terms and conditions and limits apply.

CrisisOnCall primarily communicates with its members through a monthly electronic newsletter. This newsletter is available in both Afrikaans and English, and any paying member with a valid email address can register to receive it.

Other forms of communication include:

·SMS:                     48950

·WhatsApp:            0825940220

·Telephonic:            0861574747 or 0123351880

·E-mail:                   hello@crisisoncall.co.za or members@crisisoncall.co.za

·Website:                www.crisisoncall.co.za (Send a message and we will get back to you)

The administration offices can be contacted through any of the following methods:

·SMS:                     48950

·WhatsApp:            0825940220

·Telephonic:            0861574747 or 0123351880

·E-mail:                   hello@crisisoncall.co.za or members@crisisoncall.co.za

·Website:                www.crisisoncall.co.za (Send a message and we will get back to you)

In an emergency or if needing services, members can call the number on the wristband.

Complaints and compliments can be sent to us through any of the following channels:

·SMS:                     48950

·WhatsApp:            0825940220

·Telephonic:            0861574747 or 0123351880

·E-mail:                   complaints@crisisoncall.co.za (for complaints) or      

compliments@crisisoncall.co.za (for compliments)

·Website:                www.crisisoncall.co.za (Send a message and we will get back to you)

The answer is two-fold

·         Security companies offer protection of residential and business premises, where an alarm is installed and armed security vehicles are despatched when necessary. CrisisOnCall help to cover the gaps by providing additional assistance and facilitates despatch of related service providers as needed.

·         CrisisOnCall offers Protect Me as part of our services. Protect Me enables a member to send a panic via our CrisisOnCall app. This triggers an alert at the contact centre and the nearest private armed security vehicles will be alerted. This service is available at or away from your home or office. Plans that have this service included are (Terms and conditions and limits apply):

o   Medic Assist

o   Guest Assist

o   Travel Care

o   Basic Care

o   Medic Assist

o   Plus Care

o   Elite Care

o   Ultimate Care

CrisisOnCall offers members a choice of four dates for their monthly debit order deduction: the 1st, 7th, 15th, or 26th of the month. If the selected date falls on a Sunday or public holiday, the debit will be processed on the next business day.

Annual payments are also an option. This can be paid at an agreed date or through debit order arranged with CrisisOnCall.

The company prefers debit orders and annual payments as they reduce administration costs and the risk of members losing their benefits due to a missed payment.

CrisisOnCall takes the safety of your information very seriously. Your data is handled in a confidential manner, as required by South African law. This means information is only provided to third parties who have a legal right to access it, such as medically registered personnel.

Here are the key points regarding the security of your information:

·Confidentiality: The CrisisOnCall system is designed to only provide access to individuals who have a legal and valid interest in the information.

·Staff Commitment: All staff members who handle client information have signed a declaration of confidentiality.

·Legal Compliance: The CrisisOnCall information system is 100% compliant with the POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act), which is the law governing the handling of personal information in South Africa.

You can update your information on the CrisisOnCall system in one of three ways:

·Online:                   Log in to the information system on the CrisisOnCall website at

https://crisisoncall.quantsolutions.co.za/clientLogin

·WhatsApp:            0825940220

·Telephonic:            0861574747 or 0123351880

·E-mail:                   hello@crisisoncall.co.za or members@crisisoncall.co.za

·SMS:                     48950

·CrisisOnCall APP:Change or update personal information of the person registered on the specific mobile. This is in accordance with the Protection of personal Information Act.

Remember to include your member number or wristband number. It is the member's responsibility to ensure that their information is up to date, complete and accurate.

It is very important to update your information with CrisisOnCall. The system holds lifesaving information, and if it is not current, it could negatively affect medical treatment in an emergency.

If you have roadside assistance, accurate vehicle information can help with rendering quick and efficient service.

The primary aim of the APP is to enable members to contact the contact centre more easily. Based on legislation (POPI Act) only personal information of the person linked to the mobile phone, can be accessed and edited through the APP.

Access to the personal information of other members of the family registered under the profile, may only be accessed through their individual mobile phone APP.

CrisisOnCall offers different packages tailored for different sizes of families / groups of members.

Cover on the different packages have been optimised for the indicated number of persons. Registering more persons will only erode the benefit limits.

Depending on the package you choose you can have between 1 and 6? individuals per membership.

Individuals do not have to be family to become part of your membership. The only requirement is that you all live under the same roof at the same address.

Should you face unforeseen circumstances, you may contact the administration offices to arrange temporary suspension of your membership. They will agree terms and conditions with you. Contact the administration offices in any of the following ways:

·SMS:                     48950

·WhatsApp:            0825940220

·Telephonic:            0861574747 or 0123351880

·E-mail:       hello@crisisoncall.co.za or members@crisisoncall.co.za

·Website:    www.crisisoncall.co.za (Send a message and we will get back to you)

Roadside assistance covers breakdown or immobilisation of the vehicle on the main road network within the borders of RSA, due to the following:

·Mechanical or electrical fault on the vehicle

·Running out of fuel

·Flat wheel caused by a pothole / accident or collision. No external damages caused by the incident.

·A flat battery

·Keys locked in vehicle

Short Term Insurance will apply in the following cases:

·When a vehicle becomes stranded because of a collision / accident or structural damage because of unexpected reasons, namely: 

·Collision, pothole (external damage visible) or accident. 

·Damage to the vehicle because of poor road conditions such as loose stones, sharp stones, loose sand, smooth road surface, potholes, etc. 

·Damage to the vehicle because of being hit by an object in or next to the road, such as loose rocks, tree stumps, big stones, rubbish on the road, trees, road signs etc. 

To cancel your CrisisOnCall membership, you must provide a 30-day notice. You can do this by sending an email to either hello@crisisoncall.co.za or members@crisisoncall.co.za. Your member number must be included in the cancellation notice.

You cannot cancel your membership within the first three months. Please provide a reason for cancellation research and quality control purposes.

If your reason for cancellation is financial, CrisisOnCall offers a member loyalty program. By referring a new member, you receive a R20 subsidy on your monthly premium for as long as the new member remains active. To qualify for this program, ensure that the new member include your membership number upon application.

Yes, you may market CrisisOnCall services. To get more information and to qualify to become an agent, you must be an active member of CrisisOnCall and send an e-mail to hello@crisisoncall.co.za.