Gap cover is a lifetime investment in financial and physical well-being

Medical aid is essential for accessing private health care in South Africa. Picture: Paballo Thekiso, Independent Newspapers.

By: Brian Harris

Medical aid is essential for accessing private health care in South Africa, but increasingly, members are exposed to medical expense shortfalls, as well as co-payments and sub-limits, which can reach tens of thousands of rand per claim and add up to hundreds of thousands of rand over a lifetime.

Gap cover, once a nice-to-have, has become critical in shielding you from the detrimental financial impact of the costs. It is never too early or too late to take out a gap cover policy as a lifetime investment in physical and financial health.

Medical expenses do not discriminate based on age

The rising cost of medical treatment and increasing shortfalls in medical aid cover mean that medical expenses can easily become a burden. Although medical aid schemes will cover up to the medical aid rate, increasingly, specialist providers charge many times the rate, and the shortfall must then be covered out of pocket by the patient.