MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY

WORK RELATED LEARNING

PRELIMINARY REPORT

NAME : KUDZANAI PFUMBIDZAI

PROGRAMME: FACULTY OF COMMERCE HONORS DEGREE IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT IN

MARKETING

REG NUMBER: R168156X

LEVEL : 3.1

PERIOD : 4 SEPTEMBER 2018 TO 4 JULY 2018

PLACE : BONVIE MEDICAL AID SCHEME

COMPANY INFORMATION

NAME OF COMPANY: BONVIE MEDICAL AID SCHEME

CONTACT PERSON : PATRICK MURAMBI

PHONE : 0254 2220401

ADDRESS : BONVIE MEDICAL AID SCHEME

74 8 TH STREET

GWERU

CONTENTS
1.0 FOREWORD
This report seeks to briefly describe and summarize my experience at BonVie Medical Aid Scheme as
a Business management trainee.

Being an ambassador for the Midlands State University at BonVie Medical Aid Scheme the author
has been awarded a great opportunity to highlight her experience during the Work-Related Learning
period.

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Almighty lord who has been the source of my
strength in all that I do and the executive management of BonVie Medical Aid for allowing me the
opportunity to join this profound organization for my attachment period. I also take the pleasure to
thank Mr P Murambi my supervisor who welcomed me and helped me to settle down in the
organization and their unwavering support during my attachment period.

I cannot leave out the Midlands State University staff members particularly the faculty of commerce
business management department for the time and effort they took in nurturing and empowering
me to be where iam right now and the work related learning department is also at heart, they came
up with an initiative program that has afforded me a chance to apply the theoretical knowledge that
I have from school into practice.

I would also like to acknowledge my family for their unwavering support which has been a pillar of
strength during my internship period. The faith that they had and continue to have in me has made
my attachment period bearable.

CHAPTER 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On the 4th of September 2018, the student joined BonVIE Medical Aid Scheme which marked the
start of her internship. This report has information that was acquired through “day to day activities”,
and it seeks to portray a conceptual theoretical framework of the student’ experience during work
related learning at the organization. The report also seeks to highlight BonVie Medical Aid scheme
background, its operations, products and/or services it offers as well as giving an overview of how
the theoretical knowledge acquired at Midlands State University contribute towards simplifying the
duties and responsibilities the student was undertaking during her internship period from 4
september to November 2018 at BonVie Medical Aid .

It seeks to spell out the student’s knowledge and development she is gaining during internship
period and highlights the processes the student was involved in, taking a closer look at the company
and student relationship. Focus was made on the historical background, functions and operations of
the company in relation to theory and the envioronment in which the company operates taking into
account the challenges and opportunities accruing therof.

The student was given a full detailed chronological order of the exact work experience at BonVie
Medical Aid Scheme, and outlines the responsibilities, processes of work and duties undergone as
marketer as well as analysing the environment in which BonVie medical aid operates in. The student
concludes the report and makes recommendations to both the organization and of

VISION
To be the preferred and dominant health care service provider

MISSION

Create and maximise stakeholder value through the provision of world class insurance and related
services.

VALUES

ABOUT BONVIE

Formerly Altfin Medical Aid Scheme, BonVie Medical Aid Scheme divested from the Altfin Holdings
stable to stand as a separate entity in September 2016. Altfin Medical Aid Scheme registered as an
open scheme with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare in November 2009 and started offering
services in April 2010. Starting out with a tiny , but powerful team of two, the Company quickly
gained momentum and established itself as a trustworthy reliable and efficient medical aid scheme
both for member and service provider. By 2015 the Altfin Medical Aid Scheme team had grown to
include 20 energetic, innovative and determined staff members with a passion for wellness and
prevention.

This set them apart from other medical aid providers and is the cornerstone of its continued success
today as BonVie Medical Aid Scheme. With 5 years of steady growth in membership and experience
behind them, BonVie Medical Aid Scheme is fully operated and is growing by day and day. The
scheme offers a wide range of products designed to suit all demographics and prides itself on its
innovative approach to health and wellness solutions.

With an extensive and established network of professional service providers countrywide BonVie
Medical Aid Scheme values regular client interaction ensuring that claims are dealt with in good time
and that lines of communication are always open. Membership has grown steadily and now sits at
over 18 000. With medical aid options ranging from the innovative and accessible MedAccess,
through travel and student plans to their flagship classic plan, BonVie offers a comprehensive service
that has been carefully tailored to cater for a varied membership with varied needs and incomes.
Head Offices of BonVie is situated in Mount Pleasant, clients and service providers can at ease and
experience the warmth and welcome of the BonVie team in a relaxed friendly environment. BonVie
Medical Aid Scheme is registered with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and is licensed to
operate under annual license number 08.2017. It is also a member of the Association of Healthcare
Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFOZ), the Board of Health Funders of Southern Africa (BFH) and the
International Federation of Health Plans (IFHP).

GEOGRAPHICAL

Set in the central business district of the only metropolis in the Midlands Province,
the Gweru branch strives to serve and address all the needs of the Gweru residents,
along with the residents of other surrounding areas like Kwekwe and Zvishavane.
The largest client for this branch of the company is arguably the Midlands State
University Staff. Manned by its branch manager, my placement supervisor Mr.
Patrick Murambi, the Gweru branch enables all Altfin (BonVie) clients with an easily
accessible reference point to which they can make all their queries known and have
all their problems attended to.

MAIN ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT

According to D. Watmore(2017), “Medical aid is a form of insurance that provides

cover for private medical care and medical costs should you be involved in an
accident, fall ill or require emergency medical treatment in hospital. Being on the
right medical aid scheme with the right options for your lifestyle needs is not only
convenient and useful thanks to its rewards programs, but is also essential in case of
illness or emergency. Medical aid is probably the most important insurance you will
ever take out.”

As an employee of this company, I strongly believe that the product offered by it

addresses what I think is the most important human need, which is good health.
However I could look beyond that by saying Altfin (Bonvie) Medical Aid Scheme
provides what most people long for and struggle to attain in today’s unpredictable
modern world…peace of mind. The flexibility of this product ensures that people from
all walks of life can afford to protect and prepare themselves for any health related
surprises.

Medical aids are regulated by the Medical Schemes Act (1998). They are essentially
non-profit organizations and belong to their members.

The legal definition, as per the Medical Scheme Act (1998) is:

 The "business" of a medical aid means the business of undertaking liability in

return for a premium or contribution,
 to make provision for the obtaining of any relevant health services,
 to grant assistance in defraying expenditure incurred in connection with the
rendering of any relevant health services, and
 where applicable, to render a relevant health service, either by the medical
scheme itself, or by any supplier or group of suppliers of a relevant health
 service or by any person, in association with or in terms of an agreement with
a medical aid.

In laymen's terms, the purpose of a medical aid is to ensure that you are able to pay
for treatment received from either a GP or specialist, or while in hospital. It is very
important to "insure" your health. Accidents can happen and you and your family's
health is unpredictable. If you cannot afford comprehensive cover, at least a basic
hospital plan is recommended.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Board of Directors/Trustees

According to T. St. Ledger (2008), “A board of directors (B of D) is a group of

individuals that are elected as, or elected to act as, representatives of the
stockholders to establish corporate management related policies and to make
decisions on major company issues. Every public company must have a board of
directors.”

In general, the board makes decisions on shareholders’ behalf as a fiduciary and

looks out for the financial wellbeing of the company. Such issues that fall under a
board's purview include the hiring and firing of executives, dividend policies, options
policies, and executive compensation. In addition to those duties, a board of
directors is responsible for helping a corporation set broad goals, support executives
in their duties, while also ensuring the company has adequate resources at its
disposal and that those resources are managed well. In recent years some boards of
directors for publicly held companies have shifted focus from considering their
fiduciary duty entailing watching after just the financial wellbeing of the corporation to
a more broad goal of working to promote the success of the company for the benefit
of its members as a whole.
The structure and the powers of the board is determined by an organizations’
bylaws, which can include number of members, the manner in which they are
elected, how often they are elected, and how often they confer. The number of
members of a board can vary in size: some companies have boards with as many as
31 members or as few as 3. The ideal size of a board is 7. No matter the number,
ideally the board of directors should be a representation of both management and
shareholders' interests by consisting of both inside and outside member.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

The Managing Director (MD) is the most senior role in any company. With ultimate
responsibility for the company’s performance, the Managing Director will report in to
the Chairman and shareholders whilst leading a Board of Directors. The Managing
Director is responsible for many aspects of the business. Primarily the Managing
Director will be responsible for implementing company policy and any changes to it.
As the aims of business are focused towards growth, profits and increasing
shareholder return it is the responsibility of the MD to ensure that the company
strategy is geared towards this. It is also the role of the Managing Director to
convene a Board of Directors and manage any communication between the Board
and the Chairperson/Shareholders.

On a secondary level there are a number of other responsibilities that the Managing
Director may have. The Managing Director will be responsible for representing the
company in public at events or with the press. They will be responsible for leading,
coaching and mentoring other board members and supporting their professional
development. The MD will work alongside other board members to identify
operational performance measures and will require an understanding of finance
related issues in order to analyze company performance. As Managing Director it is
your responsibility to ensure the business performance heads in a positive direction.
You should expect a demanding and high-pressured role with long hours however
much of your time will be spent in meetings, visiting departments or in your office
planning and taking time to consider the company’s strategic direction.
You will not need to worry too much about dealing with the basic day to day issues of
taking cold calls or managing admin responsibilities as you will have a personal
assistant to take care of this. The role may at times feel lonely but for many the high
pressured nature and rewards of success are worth it.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Thembi is a pioneering legend in the medical aid industry!  She has over seventeen
years of accounting and medical aid experience, both in a closed and open scheme.
Thembi nurtured the Altfin medical aid product from its inception, through
registration, product design and marketing, to make it the innovative brand that it is
today. Thembi holds a Certificate of Proficiency, an Executive Leadership Diploma
and is at the dissertation stage of her MBA with the University of Cumbria. Most
importantly, Thembi is a proud mother of 3 and is a straight-talking, fast-moving
proponent of Wellness and Prevention. “Wellness and prevention is what defines
us,” Ms. Mloyi says. “We approach our business from the other side of the medical
problem– we’re there for our members way before they think they need us –
because prevention is key to good health.”

SECRETARY/ PERSONAL ASSISTANT

According to C. Rampell (2014), “A secretary or personal assistant is a person

whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a
variety of project management, communication, or organizational skills. These
functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the
benefit of more than one. In other situations a secretary is an officer of a society or
organization who deals with correspondence, admits new members, and organizes
official meetings and events.”
A secretary, typically known as personal assistant (pa) or an administrative assistant,
has many administrative duties. The title secretary is not used as often as in
decades past, and responsibilities have evolved to much more advance skill set such
as mastering Microsoft Office applications; Word, PowerPoint, and Excel to name a
few. The duties may vary according to the nature and size of the company or
organization, and might include managing budgets, bookkeeping, attending
telephone calls, handling visitors, maintaining websites, travel arrangements, and
preparing expense reports. Secretaries might also manage all the administrative
details of running a high-level conference or meeting and be responsible for
arranging the catering for a lunch meeting. Often executives will ask their assistant to
take the minutes at meetings and prepare meeting documents for review. In addition
to the minutes, the secretary may be responsible for keeping all of the official records
of a company or organization.

OPERATIONS MANAGER:

According to Slater (2013), “An operations manager is a senior role which involves
overseeing the production of goods and/or production of services. It is the job of the
operations manager to make sure an organization is running as well as it possibly
can, with a smooth efficient service that meets the expectations and needs of
customers and clients.”

An operations manager has a broad role, and the specific responsibilities will vary
between different companies, but generally it includes monitoring and analysing the
current system of production or provision to check its effective, and working out a
strategy for improving if necessary. By managing day-to-day activities, analysing
statistics and reading and writing reports, operations managers play a vital role in
any company.
Operations managers also have to do a lot of liaising with other team members,
including interacting with managers of different areas of the organization, presenting
findings to stakeholders and higher management as well as training and supervising
new employees and tracking and measuring staff performance.

Other duties and responsibilities include:

 Planning and controlling change.

 Managing quality assurance programmes.
 Researching new technologies and alternative methods of efficiency.
 Setting and reviewing budgets and managing cost.
 Overseeing inventory, distribution of goods and facility layout.

MARKETING MANAGER:

Marketing managers are responsible for developing, implementing and executing

strategic marketing plans for an entire organization (or lines of business and brands
within an organization) in order to attract potential customers and retain existing
ones.

Their day-to-day tasks include managing and coordinating marketing and creative
staff, leading market research efforts to uncover the viability of current and existing
products/services, and liaising with media organizations and advertising agencies.

Marketing managers must be great business leaders as well as great marketing

leaders. That’s because they are responsible for working with executives to
determine budgets and targets, and they are often charged with developing pricing
strategies for products and services. While the marketing department looks to
marketing managers for guidance and direction, executives count on marketing
managers for profitability and results. Operating at the centre of the marketing
department, these professionals must have extraordinary communication skills.
FINANCE MANAGER:

A medical aid scheme is all about trust and reliability, at BonVie, they insist on best
financial practice, transparency and above all, efficient processing of claims.  We
know what it’s like to wait for what seems like an eternity in an emergency – we want
to make that wait as easy and as transparent as possible for all our stakeholders.”

Marketing managers are responsible for developing, implementing and executing

strategic marketing plans for an entire organization (or lines of business and brands
within an organization) in order to attract potential customers and retain existing
ones. Their day-to-day tasks include managing and coordinating marketing and
creative staff, leading market research efforts to uncover the viability of current and
existing products/services, and liaising with media organizations and advertising
agencies.

Marketing managers must be great business leaders as well as great marketing

leaders. That’s because they are responsible for working with executives to
determine budgets and targets, and they are often charged with developing pricing
strategies for products and services. While the marketing department looks to
marketing managers for guidance and direction, executives count on marketing
managers for profitability and results. Operating at the centre of the marketing
department, these professionals must have extraordinary communication skills.

CLAIMS DEPARTMENT

CLAIMS SUPERVISOR:

CLAIMS ASSESSORS:

According to Roberts (2009), “Under general direction, supervises and is

responsible for the claims section of the health service system; plans, assigns and
supervises the activities of subordinate employees engaged in processing medical
claims records; and performs related duties as required. Requires responsibility for:
 explaining, interpreting arid enforcing policies, methods and procedures related to the
audit and review of' all medical claims of members of the health service system;
developing and installing new procedures in connection therewith; making regular
contact with professional persons, hospitals, outside agencies and groups, arid
members of the health service system to exchange information and to explain and
interpret services and regulations related to payment of medical claims; preparing,
checking and reviewing important detailed and complex medical claims and related
statistical records arid reports.”

In simpler terms, all the claims that are incurred by BonVie Medical Aid
Scheme are sent through to the claims department for processing. The
personnel in the claims department make sure that the claimed amounts do
not exceed the stipulated AHFoZ (Association of Healthcare Funders of
Zimbabwe) tariffs.

SIZE OF THE ORGANISATION

Starting out as Altfin Medical Aid Scheme with a team of just two individuals, this
brand has grown tremendously and continues to grow year after year. Celebrating its
year
seventh of operation in the medical aid industry, the company has established
itself as one of the most preferred medical aid providers in the country. With the
Head Office located in the suburb of Mount Pleasant in Harare, and branches in
Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and Chinhoyi, the ambition and goal to serve clients all
across the nation is being realized, which a true testament to the incredible size of
the company.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES ASSIGNED TO THE STUDENT

Throughout the course of my attachment period I was trained in carrying out various
office related tasks. I was taught how to use the H.I.P (Health Information Platform)
computer system by “2Cana Solutions”, which enabled me to access the Altfin
(Bonvie) Health system and database which contained all the clients who are both
currently registered and have ever been registered as Altfin (Bonvie) Medical Aid
Scheme members.

On a daily basis I would receive visits from members of the public wishing to find out
about the product we offer here at Altfin (Bonvie) Medical aid scheme and how they
could join. I would give the clients a short presentation of the product with the
assistance of our company literature, i.e. the schedule of benefits/brochures and the
contribution rates. I would explain all the schemes offered and the various benefits
they entail. All information regarding the mandatory waiting periods and methods of
payment would be clearly explained to the client and I would give them enough time
to ask me any questions that they may need answers to. I made it a point to kindly
ask for the client’s contact information so as to make a follow-up at a later stage to
see if they have decided on whether or not to join the medical aid scheme.

When I was not dealing with new, prospective clients, I was mainly serving our
members who were already registered on the Altfin (Bonvie) medical aid scheme.
Such clients would bring an array of issues and queries to my attention and I would
do my best to serve them. Most clients would come in with quotations from service
providers which would require authorization. For instance, a client would bring in a
quotation for a new pair of prescription sunglasses/spectacles from John McMinn
Optometrists. In such a scenario, I had to ensure that before authorizing the
quotation, the client’s account was active and their payments were up to date. I also
had to make sure that the client was not on the waiting period for spectacles, which
is 12 months from the time one joined the medical aid for the first pair of spectacles
and then 24 months for subsequent pairs. Once I verify that the client meets all the
above criteria I would then proceed to authorize the quotation according to the
scheme they are covered on. There are some authorizations that required me to get
in contact with our claims department at our head office in Harare.

Some of my tasks were performed over the phone or by email. I would receive calls
from several service providers, mainly hospitals and pharmacies, who would call to
find out if a particular client was eligible for service. I would verify this by going into
the H.I.P system to see if the client in question was an active member and whether
or not they could receive service. If the client’s membership was active and their
benefit was not exhausted I would proceed to inform the service provider to go
ahead and serve the client. Once clients had been served I would receive claim
forms from various service providers, which I would sign for and send to our head
office, where they would be captured by our claims department.

Midway through my internship I was trained and taught how to do reconciliations on

individual member accounts and corporate accounts. In accounting, reconciliation
is the process of ensuring that two sets of records (usually the balances of two
accounts) are in agreement. Reconciliation is used to ensure that the money leaving
an account matches the actual money spent. This is done by making sure the
balances match at the end of a particular accounting period. I found this to be quite
difficult and challenging in the beginning as it required me to look back at payments
dating back to the year 2013 and to try and find proofs of payments for several
clients’ whose payments may not have been captured in the system. Whenever I
failed to locate a particular proof of payment for a particular month, I would contact
the client in question and kindly ask them to provide it for me if possible. With time
and practice I grew more and more accustomed to this particular task and I
eventually acclimatized to my new job requirement of conducting reconciliations.

One of the other main tasks of my work-related learning was to go out to meet
prospective clients and give them a detailed presentation of our product. As a
student studying language and communication, I knew that the successful execution
of this task solely rested upon being an effective communicator.

I found these presentations to be less daunting and quite enjoyable due to the fact
that I have had past experience in giving presentations, mainly in a more academic
context. However, I have come to realize that whether presenting in a lecture room in
front of my peers or in an office in front of company personnel, the same principles
apply. One must be clear and concise in his/her speech without stuttering. One must
have all the facts about their presentation topic and be in a position to answer any
follow-up question that the client/audience might have.

ANANLYSIS OF WORK DONE

As a student working towards attaining a degree in language and

communication studies I have learned to apply some of the concepts I have
learnt in the lecture room directly into the work environment. For instance, for
the entirety of my tertiary education I have conducted presentations on
several topics. During the past eleven months I have had to make numerous
presentations about the BonVie product to a number of clients from numerous
cultural backgrounds and ethnicities. The same principles apply both in the
lecture room and office because one must be confident and audible when
speaking. One needs to have all their facts and be in a position to respond to
any follow-up questions that the client might have. The concept and principles
of public relations that I studied in my Strategic Communication module can
also be applied in the work environment. The term ‘public relations’ is defined
as being the commitment to the mutual coexistence, effective communication
and maintenance of good relations between an organization and its
stakeholders. This definition completely embodies the crucial role that
communication plays in the business world. For two business entities to thrive
and equally benefit from each other, effective and open communication must
be present always.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

What would I do differently?

As much as all businesses and institutions aim for perfection, none of them
can truly and realistically attain it. BonVie medical aid scheme, unfortunately,
is no exception to the rule. There are one or two changes that I believe would
improve the long-term relationship between BonVie and its stakeholders.
Firstly, I believe a review of the OVC (over the counter) drugs policy would be
beneficial. Clients regularly demonstrate their dismay to the fact that they
have to use their own money to pay for medication. In their eyes, that defeats
the whole purpose of having a medical aid policy because instead of the
medical aid covering the drugs, the client has to pay for them.

Secondly is the duration of the payment of claims. Clients regularly voice their
disapproval with how long it takes for their claims to be refunded. As BonVie
medical aid we should ensure that we act swiftly when client claims are
concerned. This does not only apply to client claims, but to all stakeholders of
the company, mainly service providers. Pharmacy, hospital and doctor claims
should be paid in full and on time to ensure that these service providers do
not turn away BonVie clients when they seek services.

In Conclusion

I would like to thank the entire BonVie Team for all the assistance they are
giving me from the moment I arrived to the company on the 4 th of September
2018. These past eleven months have been an extremely pivotal learning
experience for me as a university student on the cusp of entering industry on
a full-time basis.

I would love to thank the Managing Director, Ms. T. Mloyi, for taking a chance
and giving me the precious opportunity to work for BonVie and be an
ambassador for the brand. I would also love to thank the hard-working
individuals who were always a phone call away to assist me whenever I met
challenges.

Last, but certainly not least, I would love to thank my supervisor Mr. P.
Murambi. Everything I need to know I learnt from him. His patience with me
made me feel at ease, especially when tough challenges come my way. I am
sincerely grateful to him for taking me under his wing for the entire year I have
been here.