Essential
About this plan
Mid-range gap cover offering up to 300% medical aid tariff cover for specialist shortfalls, hospital admissions, scans, co-payments, and selected health insurance benefits. Administered by Zestlife.
Monthly premium
From
R429
per month
Waiting periods
- General
- 3 months
- Pre-existing conditions
- 12 months
Essential
Liberty Essential Gap Cover (🇿🇦 2025)
Overall, Liberty Essential Gap Cover is a trustworthy short-term insurance product designed to provide extra protection for those who already have medical aid. The Liberty Essential Gap Cover Plans start from R397 ZAR. Liberty has a trust score of 4.1.| 🔎 Provider | 🥇 Liberty Essential Gap Cover |
| 🟥 Years in Operation | 66 years |
| 🟧 Underwriters | Guardrisk Life Limited (FSP 76) |
| 🟨 Market Share in South Africa | >25% |
| 🟩 Gap Cover Waiting Period | 12 months |
| 🟦 Do Exclusions Apply | ✅ Yes |
| 🟪 Average Monthly Premium | R397 |
| 🟥 Oncology Benefit | None |
| 🟧 In-Hospital Benefit | ✅ Yes |
| 🟨 Out-of-Hospital Cover | None |
Liberty Essential Gap Overview
The Liberty Essential Gap Cover is one of three plans that starts from R397 per month. Liberty’s Essential Gap Cover has benefits for in-hospital shortfalls, scopes and scans, accidental dentistry, and more. Liberty Gap Cover has three plans to choose from:
Liberty Essential Gap Cover - 7 Key Point Quick Overview
- ✅ Liberty Essential Gap Overview
- ✅ Liberty Essential Gap Cover Premiums
- ✅ Liberty Essential Gap Cover Benefits and Cover Comprehensive Breakdown
- ✅ Liberty Essential Gap Cover Exclusions and Waiting Periods
- ✅ Liberty Essential Gap Cover vs Other Gap Cover Plans
- ✅ Our Verdict on Liberty Essential Gap Cover
- ✅ Liberty Essential Gap Cover Frequently Asked Questions
Liberty Essential Gap Cover Premiums
| 🟥 Individual Cover | 🟥 Premium |
| 🟧 <55 Years | R397 monthly |
| 🟨 55 – 64 Years | R499 monthly |
| 🟩 >65 Years | R592 monthly |
| 🟦 Family Cover | 🟦 Premium |
| 🟪 Where all insured are <65 years | R499 monthly |
| 🟥 Where one or more insured are >65 Years | R592 monthly |
Liberty Essential Gap Cover Benefits and Cover Comprehensive Breakdown
Liberty Essential Gap Cover
Liberty Essential Gap Cover affordably addresses the most common coverage gaps and provides additional financial protection against certain health risks.Liberty Essential Gap Cover Features
Who will be covered under this plan? 💙In South Africa, there is no upper age limit for enrolling in a medical insurance plan, so anyone and their family can obtain coverage.- ✅ Individual Coverage should be considered by those who are self-sufficient in terms of medical coverage.
| 🅰️ Shortfall Cover | 🅱️ Cover Information |
| 🟧 Overall Annual Cover Limit | Overall Annual Cover Limit – R230 000 per insured per year |
| 🟨 In-hospital cover for shortfalls in terms of doctors and specialist charges exceeding medical aid tariff | Covers up to 300% of the medical aid tariff. |
| 🟩 Shortfalls on ±50 out-patient procedures (includes PET, MRI, and PET scans) | Covers up to 300% of the medical aid tariff. |
| 🟦 General Co-payments imposed by the medical aid for hospital admission, CT, PET, and MRI scans, and certain medical aid procedures | General Co-payments imposed by the medical aid for hospital admission, CT, PET, and MRI scans, and certain medical aid procedures |
| 🟪 Casualty Facility Treatment for the treatment of casualties in-hospital after 48 hours of accidental injury | Covers up to R25,400 per policy per year. |
| 🟥 Covers after-hours emergency treatment in a casualty facility for children under 11 | Covers up to R2,800 per policy per year. |
| 🟧 Robotic Medical Procedures – covers shortfalls from using robotic machines for in-hospital treatment. | Covers up to R37,600 per policy per year. |
| 🟨 Accidental Dentistry | Covers up to R25,700 for accidental tooth fractures and up to R3,700 per fractured tooth. |
| 🟩 Accidental Death and Permanent Disability Cover | Covers up to R50,000 for unexpected costs if the main policyholder accidentally dies or is completely and permanently disabled. |
| 🟦 Trauma Counselling Cover | Covers up to R30,300 per policy per year or R900 per session within 6 months of the traumatic event. |
| 🟪 Medical Aid and Gap Cover Waiver | Covers up to R122 400 after the policyholder accidentally dies or is permanently disabled. |
💙Women might consider making use of our free Ovulation Calculator
Liberty Essential Gap Cover Exclusions and Waiting Periods
Essential Gap Cover Exclusions
💙Exclusions on the Essential Gap Cover plan include, but are not limited to, the following, with the full list available here:- ✅ Nuclear weapons, as well as ionizing and nuclear radiation
- ✅ Suicide, attempted suicide, or intentional self-injury
- ✅ Any illness or injury caused by the consumption of alcohol
- ✅ Illegal behavior or violations of the Republic of South Africa laws
- ✅ Medical practitioners’ daily expenses
- ✅ Breast and dental implants.
- ✅ Medical emergency transportation
Essential Gap Cover Waiting Periods
- ✅ Coverage begins immediately on the policy’s start date, with no waiting periods.
- ✅ Medical conditions within 12 months before the policy’s start date are not eligible for benefits.
- ✅ Pregnancy before the policy’s start date is considered a pre-existing condition, with a 12-month exclusion period for pregnancy or birth-related claims.
Liberty Essential Gap Cover vs Other Gap Cover Plans
| 🔎 Provider | 🥇 Liberty Essential Gap Cover | 🥈 Elixi Gap Single | 🥉 Discovery Health Gap Core |
| 🟥 Years in Operation | 66 years | 6 years | 31 years |
| 🟧 Underwriters | Guardrisk Life Limited (FSP 76) | Unity Health | Discovery Insure Ltd |
| 🟨 Market Share in South Africa | >25% | <5% | >56% |
| 🟩 Gap Cover Waiting Period | 12 months | 3 – 12 months | 12 months |
| 🟦 Do Exclusions Apply | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟪 Average Monthly Premium | R397 | R282 | R157 |
| 🟥 Oncology Benefit | None | None | ✅ Yes |
| 🟧 In-Hospital Benefit | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟨 Out-of-Hospital Cover | None | None | ✅ Yes |
| 🟩 Maternity Benefit | None | None | ✅ Yes |
| 🟦 Scopes and Scans | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟪 Co-payment Cover | None | None | ✅ Yes |
| 🟥 Emergency Room | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | None |
| 🟧 Accidental Cover | ✅ Yes | None | None |
| 🟨 Trauma Counseling | ✅ Yes | None | None |
| 🟩 Premium Waiver | ✅ Yes | None | None |
| 🟦 Non-DSP Co-Payment | None | None | None |
| 🟪 Prostheses | None | None | None |
| 🟥 Travel Cover Extender | None | None | None |
| 🟧 Accidental Death/ Permanent Disability | ✅ Yes | None | ✅ Yes |
