Get a Medical Gap Cover Policy with Hippo
December 14, 2021
Why choose Hippo to get a medical gap cover policy?
- Well-established
- Good reputation
- Quick results
- Simple application process for quotes
- No obligation
Who in South Africa has not yet heard of the Hippo? It’s a massive comparison site for everything from car insurance quotes to health insurance quotes. There is nothing quite as simple and easy as punching in your details once, hitting the submit button and having a range of quotes to look at.
Hippo is great if you are looking for gap cover quotes to enhance your medical aid. I can see a few people thinking, “But if I 
have a medical aid that pays 100%, why do I need to enhance it?”
To explain that, we need to first look at what gap cover is.
Why Should I Get a Medical Gap Cover Policy?
Is it a medical aid, is it an insurance? What exactly is it? A medical gap cover policy is a hybrid short-term insurance product that works in conjunction with your medical aid.
You cannot get a medical gap cover policy unless you are a member of one of South Africa’s registered medical schemes.
It’s quite simple; the medical aid pays its portion for your treatment and, if there is anything else to pay, you have to come up with the money.
And this shortfall can be a fairly significant one as well.
Why is there a Shortfall?
You are probably a bit confused right now. After all. You have a medical aid that pays out 100% of the cost of your treatment.
Read the fine print. They pay 100% of their scheme’s rate. This rate is determined on an annual basis by the schemes themselves. They take a look at what the average cost per procedure has been throughout the preceding year.
They then need to make their calculations. How much money is in the pool for them to use for the upcoming year? This is what they base their tariff on. It might cover what they charge you but it might not.
This becomes a particularly sticky area when it comes to specialist treatment and hospitalization. The more specialized the service, the more it is going to cost you.
In some cases, this could be as much as 500% of what the medical aid will pay. You could very well be looking at paying the same, if not more than your scheme paid out.
And, shocking as it is, there is not much you can do about it because that is what you signed up for.
Your gap policy will settle the difference for you.
Get a medical gap cover quote -Who is Allowed to Apply?
You may apply if you are a member of a medical aid that registered in South Africa.
Can I Cover More Than One Person?
This depends on a company to company basis but, in most cases, you will be able to get at least your spouse and kids under the same policy.
It’s important to check what restrictions there are with the company – older children may not be covered, or there may be a maximum number of people you can add.
Cancellation Notice
If you choose to cancel your policy, the cancellation period will depend on the company concerned. Normally you would have to give a month’s to two months’ notice that you are cancelling.
Should you trust the hippo to get quotes for you? Considering how easy it is, and how much you could end up saving, the answer is a firm, “Yes.”
Next step: Complete and submit the form on this page to get a medical gap cover policy quote
All info was correct at time of publishing