Gap Cover Insurance – the Ins and Outs
November 10, 2024
When it comes to comparing medical aid expenses and policies, you should be looking for overall cover. And you should take out gap cover insurance for those unpredictable and rather frightening expenses.
Very often, medical treatment and intervention are unexpected and unaffordable. Both the hospital stay and treatment costs can soar before your eyes. So can chronic medication expenses and the need for regular GP or specialist appointments.
Most medical aids, including GEMS medical aid and Bonitas medical aid recommend extra cover. This is a medical gap cover in the form of short term insurance. Top-up cover will bridge the gap between what the medical aid pays and what the healthcare providers actually charge.
You can sigh up for the product for the monthly cost of a restaurant meal (or slightly more depending on the type of gap cover medical aid you choose). So it is an incredibly affordable safety net for those unforeseen medical emergencies that your medical aid doesn’t cover – be it falling seriously ill or requiring a hospital stay and treatments. And it’s easy to get an insurance quote online.
If you belong to a South African medical aid, please complete and send the form on this page and we will send you one FREE quote
While there are guidelines as to how much providers like Discovery Health medical aid and Liberty medical aid, among others, should cover and how much procedures and diagnoses should cost, these guidelines don’t take into account the real fees healthcare professionals tend to charge. This is where shortfall cover comes in.
Many people’s Discovery medical aid may cover 100% of the scheme rate, but specialists and doctors can charge in excess of 300% of scheme rates. And that leaves you responsible for the other 200%. So it’s a good idea to seek online quotes for gap cover insurance to make sure you’re covered.
The Benefits of Gap Cover Insurance
Like most short-term insurance offerings, gap cover insurance can save you from frightening financial burden. When looking for a scheme to join, ask what the consequences would be of any shortfall you could experience. And then ask exactly how viable it is to take out gap cover insurance.
If you’re very sure you won’t need gap cover, think about the benefits your family could enjoy with the cover. Cover shortfalls of up to 500% of medical scheme rates. That’s huge peace of mind.
Does It Really Work?
Gap cover insurance isn’t linked directly to your current medical aid and it won’t affect your membership in anyway. You can switch service providers and still keep the gap cover. They’re two separate plans.
Quotes Online
Just as there are different types of medical aid policies and cover, there is a variety of top-up cover options on the market. Fill in the form on this page to receive an online insurance quote or for a gap cover expert to contact you with a tailored gap cover insurance solution for your needs.
If you belong to a South African medical aid, please complete and send the form on this page and we will send you a quote that covers everyone who is on your medical aid
All info was correct at time of publishing