‘Hakuna matata’ is a wonderful Swahili phrase popularised by the Lion King movie. It actually means ‘no trouble,’ but literally translated, it means, ‘no worries.’ Either way, ‘hakuna matata’ is the safety net that South African gap cover offers you.
Any in-hospital treatment, whether scheduled, a sudden illness or an emergency, is a time of stress – not only for the patient, but for their extended family as well. Sitting beside your child’s hospital bed, waiting for news from the surgeon, or visiting a spouse in post-operative ICU, is emotionally draining. In pressing times like these, financial costs should be the least of your worries.
The fact is that in South Africa, although medical aid schemes may cover the bulk of the cost of surgeries, specialists and post-operative care, they may not cover everything. There is often a financial shortfall, and whether that bill is large or small, that becomes your problem. This is where gap cover sweeps in to save the day.
In many instances, the procedure costs for hospital, or even outpatient treatment, exceed the base medical aid rate. This is an ongoing reality and is unlikely to change in the near future. It has been the bone of contention and one of the motivations behind the NHI bill and reform of the South African health system. But in the meantime, South African Gap cover is your essential measure and being prepared for it is a wise consideration. Private healthcare rates and medical inflation will continue to rise as private medical service providers are currently entitled to charge more than the medical aid rates.
This is the primary reason for which increasing numbers of South Africans are turning to medical gap cover as a top-up to their medical aid policy. Gap cover, by definition, is the solution for covering the difference between rates charge by medical specialists and what your medical aid pays.
Addressing a vital healthcare need, gap cover gives medical aid scheme members access to insurance to cover the gap which is created between the ever-increasing costs of medical service providers and the set rates which the medical scheme will pay. Unfortunately, no medical aid means no access to gap cover.
Hopefully, when your loved one is discharged from the hospital and you go to settle the shortfall on the medical bill, because you have South African gap cover, you will be able to confidently smile and say, ‘No worries, it is all covered.’
At Day1 Health, we offer a Gap Wise option. For more information regarding this gap cover and its benefits, visit our website to find out more or contact us to request a quote.
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