BedWatch Emergency Response Fund
BERF Terms and Conditions
Last updated: May 2026
⚠️ BERF is available on annual plans only
BERF coverage is included exclusively with BedWatch Africa annual subscriptions (Individual GHS 60/year or Family GHS 200/year). Monthly subscribers and Day Pass holders do not qualify for BERF. To activate BERF, upgrade to an annual plan.
1. What BERF Is
The BedWatch Emergency Response Fund (BERF) is a subscriber solidarity fund — not an insurance product. BERF is funded by a portion of annual subscription fees and administered by BedWatch Africa Ltd on behalf of all contributing subscribers.
BERF exists for one purpose: to ensure that no BedWatch annual subscriber is prevented from receiving initial emergency medical care because of inability to pay at the point of arrival at a partner hospital.
BERF is not a general healthcare benefit, reimbursement scheme, or insurance policy. It does not cover routine visits, planned procedures, or non-emergency medical costs.
⚠️ Fund availability
BERF is a fund with finite resources. All payments are made subject to fund availability and eligibility verification. BedWatch Africa does not guarantee payment in all circumstances. In the event the fund is insufficient to meet all eligible claims, BedWatch Africa will prioritise claims in order of submission date and will notify affected subscribers as soon as possible. Subscribing to BedWatch Africa does not constitute a contractual guarantee of BERF payment in any specific amount.
2. What BERF Covers
BERF covers the combined cost of emergency transport and initial hospital stabilisation up to a maximum of GHS 1,000 per emergency event. This is a combined cap — transport and treatment costs are counted together.
- Emergency transport to a registered BedWatch partner facility
- Initial triage and stabilisation at the receiving facility
- Emergency diagnostic tests required for immediate stabilisation decisions
- Life-saving medications administered during initial stabilisation
Costs beyond GHS 1,000, or costs incurred after initial stabilisation, are the subscriber’s own responsibility. BERF does not cover admission fees, ward charges, elective procedures, or ongoing treatment beyond the emergency episode.
3. Who Qualifies
BERF is available on annual plans only.
Monthly subscribers and Day Pass holders are not eligible for BERF, regardless of their subscription status or duration.
To qualify for a BERF payment, you must:
- Hold an active annual BedWatch Africa subscription (Individual GHS 60/year or Family GHS 200/year)
- Have held that annual subscription for at least 30 days at the time of the emergency
- Not have received a BERF payment in the past 12 months
- Have pressed the emergency button in the BedWatch app before or at the time of arriving at the facility
- Arrive at a registered BedWatch partner facility
Institutional subscribers (corporate and group plans) are always on annual billing and qualify for BERF under the same rules above.
4. Eligibility Rules
30-day activation period
BERF activates 30 days after your first annual subscription payment. Emergencies that occur within the first 30 days are not covered. This period exists to protect the fund from subscribers who join solely to make an immediate claim.
One claim per 12 months
Each subscriber may receive one BERF payment per 12-month period. This applies per person — family plan members each have their own 12-month claim window.
Emergency button must be pressed first
The subscriber must have pressed the emergency button in the BedWatch app before arriving at the facility. Walk-in patients who did not use the BedWatch app are not eligible for BERF.
8-hour claim window
The facility must submit the BERF claim within 8 hours of the subscriber pressing the emergency button. Arrivals outside this window may require additional review and documentation.
5. What Qualifies as a BERF Emergency
A BERF emergency is a sudden, unexpected medical event requiring immediate professional intervention where delay would cause significant harm or death.
✓ Qualifying emergencies
- • Cardiac arrest or chest pain
- • Road traffic accident / trauma
- • Obstetric emergency / difficult labour
- • Stroke / loss of consciousness
- • Severe respiratory distress
- • Paediatric seizure
- • Serious burns
- • Severe allergic reaction
- • Acute poisoning or overdose
✗ Non-qualifying visits
- • Routine consultations
- • Planned procedures or surgery
- • Medication refills
- • Antenatal check-ups (non-emergency)
- • Minor cuts, sprains, or bruises
- • Dental treatment
- • Optical appointments
- • Mental health counselling (non-crisis)
6. How Claims Work
Subscriber presses emergency button
The BedWatch app routes the subscriber to the nearest appropriate partner facility and sends alerts to trusted contacts.
Subscriber arrives at partner facility
The subscriber shows their BedWatch reference code to the receiving nurse or admissions staff.
Facility submits the BERF claim
The hospital submits the claim through the BedWatch hospital portal, including the subscriber reference, emergency event ID, arrival time, treatment details, and claim amount (maximum GHS 1,000).
BedWatch reviews the claim
Claims are reviewed within 2 business days. Flagged claims (e.g., arriving after the 8-hour window or at a different facility than routed) may take longer.
Payment to facility
On approval, BedWatch pays the facility directly. The subscriber is never asked to pay the BERF-covered amount out of pocket.
7. Fraud Consequences
BERF is funded by the entire community of BedWatch annual subscribers. Fraud against the fund is fraud against your fellow subscribers.
The following actions constitute BERF fraud and will result in immediate termination of your subscription without refund, permanent ban from all BedWatch services, and reporting to relevant authorities:
- Submitting a claim for a non-emergency or ineligible visit
- Falsifying emergency event timestamps or arrival times
- Collusion with a facility to submit inflated or fictitious claims
- Using another subscriber’s reference code
- Submitting multiple claims from a single emergency event
BedWatch Africa reserves the right to investigate any claim, request supporting documentation, and withhold payment pending investigation.
8. Contact
For BERF queries, disputes, or to report fraud:
Email: berf@bedwatchafrica.com
Response time: Within 2 business days
Operator: BedWatch Africa Ltd, Ghana