As cliche as it sounds, and yes, you’ve probably heard it numerous times before, but accidents unfortunately happen! And you don’t want to be caught out having to pay excessive hospital and/ or doctor’s bills. This is why it is so important to have medical aid in place.
Medical aid is a form of insurance that you pay monthly, for any medical related expenses – from doctors visits, to hospital visits, surgeries or purchasing medicines. There are numerous Medical aid providers out there who offer various products to suit your budget and your daily needs.
What does medical aid not cover?
Let’s start off with what medical aid doesn’t do. It doesn’t exactly cover all your medical costs (hence the importance of looking into a gap cover to cover the shortfalls). There may be certain types of prosthetic devices that won’t be covered, cosmetic surgeries (this can even include certain dental procedures) and certain cancer treatments. Some medical aid covers don’t have medical aid savings, which is quite helpful for visiting a doctor or paying for medication. Some only cover certain hospital treatments, so it’s important to read the fine print on what you are and aren’t covered for.
What medical aids do cover and the different plans?
There are a number of medical aid providers out there and there are people who are experts when it comes to medical aid who can help you to find the right cover for your budget. If you are seeking a general hospital plan or something a bit more comprehensive should you need regular medical treatment etc., you can find a plan suited to your medical needs. Let’s break down the different types of covers there are.
You can get a hospital plan which only covers in-hospital benefits only. These are usually the cheaper of the medical aid schemes. You need to check your threshold amount and what you need to do should you need any additional cover if you find yourself in an emergency situation. You need to be mindful of your funds after a procedure as your medical aid maybe only tops up again the next year.
Then you get what’s called a comprehensive plan. Here you can add on a savings portion for any day to day benefits that you may incur. Some medical aid plans work with network hospitals and doctors so you need to make sure that you are near an area of that network. Comprehensive means that you will have full cover if you are hospitalised (again make sure you have a gap cover in place for any potential shortfalls) and your chronic medication is usually covered.
Hospital and Comprehensive plans are generally your two main types of benefits from most medical aids – however there are more that can be broken down or added such as maternity benefits, chronic illness benefits, screening and prevention benefits- and the list goes on depending on what you need medically.
Speak to an advisor to make sure you get the cover you need during any stage of your life that will suit your family’s needs and budget.
Medical Gap Cover Questions & Queries
If you have any more queries or questions regarding anything related to TRA Gap Cover, why not reach out to our helpful specialists here. You can also visit our Gap Cover here.
References:
https://www.1life.co.za/blog/medical-aid-wont-cover
https://gap-cover-quote.co.za/medical-aid-shortfalls/
https://www.discovery.co.za/medical-aid/our-medical-aid-plans
https://www.sanlamreality.co.za/wealth-sense/in-sickness-and-in-health-choosing-the-right-medical-aid/
