Which Medical Gap Cover Company in South Africa is the Best?
December 19, 2021
Which medical gap cover company is best and why do I need gap cover? Well, the type of question most people ask about their medical aid is ‘why do I pay so much and still not get full cover for some treatments?’ You’re not likely to get a straightforward answer. While medical aids continue to pay only a partial amount of treatment you’ve had, you’ll have to find the money from somewhere to pay the shortfall.
It can be horrific to land up in a hospital and to have medical bills streaming into your post box when you’re trying to recover at home. That is because the medical aid tariff rate for your procedure may have been R5 000 but your specialist charged R15 000. Specialists in South Africa can charge way beyond the medical aid fee. Your medical aid certainly isn’t going to pay the additional amount your specialist charged, so you’ve got to pay it. If you’ve got gap cover, then this insurance solves the problem, as the gap cover takes care of the shortfall.
Which Medical Gap Cover – There are Lots of Good Companies
Gap cover isn’t part of your medical aid. It is a short-term insurance product providing additional cover for those who already have a medical aid. It is something that you will have to buy separately. Many different companies in South Africa offer this gap cover. Some of them are:
Let’s Look at Zestlife
All these companies offer excellent medical gap cover, so it ‘s hard to say which one is the best. Let’s see what Zestlife can offer you:
- They started in 2010.
- They are a respected independent financial service provider.
- Zestlife provides short-term insurance products.
- They have a 12 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions as well as pregnancy.
- They make it easy for you to claim – claims must be submitted within six months of the stay in hospital.
- Zestlife pays out within 14 days – they pay you and not to the doctors.
- They are not a medical aid scheme – they just offer medical aid gap cover.
- The family package makes provision for your entire family if they all belong to the same medical aid.
- They will cover some of your dental procedures.
- For a small premium their Gap Protect can pay your shortfall.
- You also get value added protection service such as trauma counselling and 24/7 access to a medical practitioner.
Zestlife is just one company offering gap cover – we have mentioned several. Do research on the different gap cover providers and choose one soon. Medical treatments are frighteningly expensive, and without Gap Cover, which should be considered as an absolute necessity, your medical aid won’t be able to help you settle your exorbitant medical bills.
Which Medical Gap Cover – Spare Yourself Terrible Stress
A shortfall policy isn’t a medical aid, and the cover you get isn’t the same as a medical scheme either. It is a necessary supplement to medical aid members, who without it, would possibly never be able to pay for the shortfalls that exist. Invest in gap cover – make up your mind to just do it because it can spare you loads of unnecessary stress.
Get your medical gap cover quote now if you have medical aid. Complete and send the form on this page
All info was correct at time of publishing