Affordable gap cover for South Africans can be found

December 18, 2021

Gap cover is insurance that pays the difference between the medical bill and what your medical aid scheme pays. Affordable gap cover is worth getting as medical costs can bankrupt you.

Even if your medical aid is compelled to pay out 100% of NHRPL pricing, there is no obligation on the part of the doctors or hospital to stick to those rates.

This could leave you having to pay out a substantial difference. Take a C-Section, for example. The NHRPL recommended rate is around R12 600. This is what the medical aid will pay.

You could, however, be looking at a figure closer to R21 000. This means that you might end up taking a debt of around R8 500 home with your new bundle of joy. Wouldn’t that money be better spent on your baby?

Yikes!! I can’t pay that. I need affordable gap cover

Now let’s be honest here when you need emergency medical treatment, the doctor you are seeing has you at a disadvantage.

You have two choices – pay up or find someone else who will be able to help you.

Depending on how quickly you need to be treated, this could be a real problem. And, because you do have a medical aid, you cannot rely on the state to cover the expense either.

Let’s say you are admitted to a clinic because you need life-saving treatment. If you are having a heart attack, you won’t be in any state to quibble about medical aid rates.

So, I’ll pay it off

Hopefully, you will be allowed to do so but don’t count on it. Depending on the circumstances, the hospital may require a sizeable deposit before you are even admitted.

And, even if you do manage to get everything taken care of, do you really want that kind of debt hanging over you?

Whilst you may be able to negotiate some sort of payment arrangement, you could end up facing high-interest charges and lawyer’s fees as well.

And that’s not taking into account the knock your credit rating could take.

What you need is affordable gap cover

For real peace of mind, gap cover cannot be beaten. Gap cover has been designed specifically to address the issue of the shortfall that occurs. Here’s hoping you will never need to go to a hospital but how likely is that, in all honesty?

And, unlike medical aid, gap cover is not a major purchase at all. With premiums that start at less than the cost of a good dinner, there’s no reason to say you cannot afford it.

You don’t even need to stick to the same company that provided your medical aid. Your gap cover is completely independent of your medical aid. The main requirement is only that you be a current member of a medical aid that is recognised in South Africa.

Easy joining requirements

Some companies have no maximum age for entering the program. Most will cover you even for pre-existing conditions once the waiting period is over.

When it comes to your financial health and your physical well-being, gap cover could be the best investment you ever make.

To get a FREE medical gap cover quote, just complete and send the form on this page

All info was correct at time of publishing