Understanding Medical Gap Cover

December 16, 2021

It may seem ludicrous to pay out even more money for medical insurance. Why get a medical insurance top-up policy when you are already paying top dollar to your medical aid scheme monthly? Understanding medical gap cover will help to make sense of that.

Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice if you want to ensure both the medical and financial well-being of your family.

The cold hard facts are that medical aid schemes work to a stipulated tariff for all medical procedures and treatments and their payment ceilings usually fall dismally short of what the medical profession actually charges for its services.

So, give your family the best possible medical care while preserving your financial status. Gap Cover is the only way to go. Gap cover insures medical aid shortfalls for the cost of hospital procedures, unforeseen treatments and other medical emergencies. You will have adequate cover with a Gap Cover policy.

Understanding Gap Cover – Makes Sense of Your Medical Cover

The beauty of Gap Cover is that it is affordable and doesn’t add another onerous burden to your monthly budget,unlike the hefty monthly medical aid premiums that most South Africans have to pay. In fact, it simply makes sense to add Gap Cover to your monthly overheads because, without it, you and your family could face financial ruin when presented with crippling and unforeseen medical bills not covered by your medical aid.

Understanding who does and doesn’t qualify for Gap Cover?

All medical aid scheme beneficiaries qualify for Gap Cover.

People who are not members of a medical scheme DO NOT QUALIFY for Gap Cover.

Depending on the short-term insurance company you choose to provide your Gap Cover, age restrictions can apply.

Also, some insurers impose waiting periods for pre-existing health conditionslike pregnancies and cancer treatments.

Understanding how to get a Gap Cover quote?

All reputable South African insurance companies, like Discovery, for example, have online websites that provide you with all the information you need to know about Gap Cover. They also display a FREE quote form on their page which you simply complete and return. They will then contact you directly to assist you with any further information or queries you may have.

The importance of Gap Cover short-term insurance cannot be over-emphasised, because without it you are not only exposing your family to the possibility of financial ruin, but also to the possibility of not receiving necessary medical treatment because of the shortfalls between medical aid tariff payments and the bills imposed by the medical profession.

Final Gap Cover guidelines

Be very sure that you opt for a Gap Cover plan that suits your lifestyle and family health history. For example, if there is a history of cancer in the family then oncology cover must form part of your insurance plan. The onus is on you to obtain a Gap Cover quote that is right for you and your family. Ask your insurance consultant all relevant questions and make sure that the Gap Cover is tailored to meet your needs before putting pen to paper.

Apply for gap cover if you belong to a medical aid.
Complete and submit the form on this page.
Act now!

All info was correct at time of publishing