Medical Gap Cover and Heart Disease
December 1, 2024
Most of us have heard people relay a story of someone they knew who just had a heart attack. They say how shocked they were because the person appeared to be so healthy. You can jog and eat a healthy diet, but diet and exercise on their own can’t prevent disease. Stress plays a powerful role too. Stress is the number one risk factor for the primary disease. Some people are at high risk for heart disease and heart attacks because they deal with stress poorly. If stress is relentless or extreme, it becomes harmful. So you might need to consider Medical Gap cover and heart disease.
Medical Aids Aren’t Playing the Game, Medical Gap Cover and Heart Disease
Medical aids in South Africa have PMBs or Prescribed Minimum Benefits.
These PMBs are part of the Medical Schemes Act, and medical schemes must cover the costs of the diagnosis and treatment of these 27 chronic conditions. Heart disease and blood vessels, as well as heart attacks, are covered.
Most of the leading South African medical aids cover heart disease, but there’s a problem. Medical aids aren’t covering treatment for heart disease in full. Many South Africans have had to sell their homes urgently to pay for their treatment after a heart attack.
Medical aids are coming under attack by members themselves as they seem to do whatever they can to avoid paying for the treatment of members.
More Attention is given to Admin than Medical Treatment, Medical Gap Cover and Heart Disease
Hospitals and specialists charge whatever they like. Dr Dave Kettles, a South African cardiologist says that they can hardly practice cardiology anymore because all their time is spent trying to sort out medical aid admin complexities.
That is why you need gap cover. That amount that your health aid refuses to pay the specialist or hospital, gap cover will pay it. If you don’t have gap cover, you as the medical aid member will have to pay it, and it could be thousands of Rands that you have to pay.
What is Gap Cover?
Many people don’t even know what gap cover is, and they can’t believe the terrible financial implications of why they need it. They can’t understand that their medical aid which promises 100% cover doesn’t pay up.
Only by adding additional products such as gap cover can medical aid members have less stress about their medical aids.
Gap cover is that amount which covers the shortfall between what your medical aids are prepared to pay and what the specialist’s charge, which can be way beyond medical scheme tariffs. There are some short-term insurers in South Africa who offer this gap cover.
Always –
- Only buy gap cover from a legal, reputable short-term insurance company who is registered with the Financial Services Board.
- Check the company’s credit rating too as you want to be sure that they’ve got the cash to meet their obligations
- research gap cover providers – some popular gap cover providers in South Africa are among others Sirago, Stratum and Zestlife.
- Read independent consumer reviews
Get Gap Cover – Your Life Depends on It
You may not like the idea of gap cover – looking upon it as an additional expense you need to make because of your medical aid won’t. Unfortunately, it is a very necessary supplement to your medical aid plan, that without, you could be looking at bankruptcy.
For a FREE gap cover quote, complete the form on this page and press the “Get a Quote” button
All info was correct at time of publishing