Pregnancy comes with its own set of blessings, challenges and changes, and while so much is transitioning, your medical cover should too. Gap cover during pregnancy is of great importance in ensuring the safety of both you and your baby, helping immensely in the bigger scheme of things.
What is Gap Cover?
Gap cover is a form of insurance that covers the difference between what your medical aid pays for and what your healthcare provider charges you. This difference is known as the ‘gap’, hence the term’ gap cover’ being coined.
Gap cover is designed to cover medical expenses that your medical aid does not fully cover, and in the circumstances of pregnancy and childbirth, this can save you a lot of money in the long run.
The Benefits Of Having Gap Cover While Pregnant
Pregnancy can be an expensive time, with medical costs adding up quickly. Having gap cover while pregnant is essential to ensure that you and your baby are protected financially. TRA is here to give you a rundown on why gap cover is necessary during pregnancy.
Why is Gap Cover Important During Pregnancy?
- High Medical Costs: Medical costs associated with pregnancy can be significant, especially if you require medical attention due to complications. Gap cover can help cover these expenses that your medical aid may not fully cover, such as specialists’ fees, hospital accommodation, and prenatal tests.
- Hospitalisation Costs: Hospitalisation is an integral part of pregnancy, and it can be quite expensive. Gap cover can help cover hospitalisation costs, such as a private room or additional fees for your baby’s care.
- Emergency Medical Care: During pregnancy, emergencies can happen at any time. Gap cover can provide financial protection in case of unforeseen medical emergencies, such as premature birth or emergency cesarean section.
- Postnatal Care: The cost of postnatal care can also be high, and gap cover can help cover these expenses. Postnatal care includes follow-up appointments with your doctor, tests, and scans to ensure that you and your baby are healthy.
- Peace of Mind: Lastly, having gap cover during pregnancy can provide peace of mind, knowing that you and your baby are financially protected in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
When To Get Gap Cover: Before or After Getting Pregnant?
With the nature of pregnancy being so vastly different across the board, the circumstances leading up to and during it tend to be as diverse. Whilst some women may plan a pregnancy, being pregnant may come to others as a surprise. Regardless of how pregnancy may come into play, having gap cover is an essential consideration before, during and after pregnancy.
Opting for gap cover whilst planning to get pregnant can ensure that. You have gap cover in place when you get pregnant. This is an excellent way to account for waiting periods that may come into play. However, if you are already pregnant, it is still a good idea to get gap cover as it can help elevate financial strain for the rest of your pregnancy and after childbirth too.
TRA Gap Cover: Maternity Benefits
When it comes to maternity benefits, not all medical aid schemes have this in place. To safeguard your medical cover, it’s best to speak to an advisor to find out what you need to do to qualify for that cover.
Most benefits would include ultrasound scans and blood tests as well as antenatal consultations and classes. Whilst planning, make sure you are aware of how many consultations are allocated in a year as well as what benefits your baby will have once they are born.
Gap Cover Once Your Baby Is Born
Within the first year or two of your baby being born, there are a number of doctor’s visits, consultations, vaccinations and tests that come into play. This can add up over time as your medical aid may not cover every single required visit or procedure.
This is where the importance of having gap cover is highlighted, as more and more checks and visits may be needed for a baby during this time. Having gap cover in place ensures that any financial strain can be alleviated as the gap cover kicks in to account for there shortfall between what is charged and what the medical aid covers.
Never Too Late: Opting For Gap Cover
As touched on, the best time to get maternity gap cover is before you fall pregnant. This is because most gap cover policies have waiting periods, meaning you will need to wait a certain period before making a claim. The waiting period typically ranges from 9 to 12 months, depending on the policy and provider.
It must be noted that with certain providers, it may be too late to take out a policy as you will not be covered for any expenses related to your current pregnancy. If you are already pregnant and don’t have gap cover, this could be something to consider for the future. Regardless, in most cases, it is still a good idea to get gap cover after the birth of your baby, as you will be covered for any future pregnancies.
T&Cs Apply
It’s important to note that you should also check the specific terms and conditions of the gap cover policy you are considering. Some policies may have exclusions or limitations on specific medical procedures or conditions related to pregnancy, so it’s important to read the policy carefully before signing up.
Pregnancy is a wonderful and exciting time in a woman’s life; pregnancy is also a time of great expense, with medical bills adding up quickly. Having gap cover before or while pregnant is essential to ensure that you and your baby are protected financially. By ensuring you are covered in the planning stages leading up to getting pregnant, you contribute to creating a smoother transition for yourself.
TRA Maternity Gap Cover: Your Solution
Having gap cover while pregnant is essential to safeguard that you and your baby are protected from the get-go. Gap cover can help cover medical expenses that your medical aid does not fully cover, such as added fees, emergency medical care, additional procedure, accommodation etc.
It can also provide peace of mind, knowing that you and your baby are financially protected in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you consider taking out gap cover while pregnant to ensure a stress-free pregnancy journey. It must be noted that as TRA, we have a 10-month waiting period in place that is specific to pregnancy.
TRA is here to offer solutions to all your gap cover problems before, during and after pregnancy. To explore all your options with TRA or to learn more, discover more on our website. To get maternity gap cover, contact us today, and we will gladly assist you.
