GapAssist Essential
About this plan
Mid-range gap cover providing up to 300% medical scheme tariff cover for specialist shortfalls, approved co-payments, hospital admissions, oncology treatment, and selected out-of-hospital procedures.
Monthly premium
From
R429
per month
What's covered
Hospital cover
Savings account
Day-to-day
Chronic cover
Dental
Optical
Maternity
Mental health
Waiting periods
- General
- 3 months
- Pre-existing conditions
- 12 months
GapAssist Essential
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential (🇿🇦 2025*)
💙 Overall, Standard Bank GapAssist Essential is a trustworthy short-term insurance product designed to provide extra protection for those with medical aid. The Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Plan starts from R397 ZAR. Standard Bank has a trust score of 4.4.| 🔎 Provider | 🥇 Standard Bank GapAssist Essential |
| 🟥 Years in Operation | 63 years (Standard Bank) |
| 🟧 Underwriters | Standard Insurance Limited |
| 🟨 Market Share in South Africa | <10% |
| 🟩 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 | ✅ Yes |
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential - 7 Key Point Quick Overview
- ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Overview
- ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Premiums
- ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Benefits and Cover Breakdown
- ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Exclusions and Waiting Periods
- ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Essential vs Other Gap Cover Plans
- ✅ Our Verdict on Standard Bank GapAssist Essential
- ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Frequently Asked Questions
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Overview
💙 The Standard Bank GapAssist Essential is one of three plans that starts from R397 per month. Standard Bank’s GapAssist Essential has benefits for MRI, CT, and PET scans, emergency treatment for children, accidental dentistry, premium waiver, and more. 💙 Standard Bank Gap Cover offers 24/7 medical emergency assistance. 👉🏿 Standard Bank GapAssist Gap Cover has three plans to choose from: ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Universal ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Optimal ✅ Standard Bank GapAssist Essential
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Premiums
| 🟥 Cover for Individuals | 🟥 Monthly Contribution |
| 🟧 <35 Years | R397 per month |
| 🟨 <55 Years | R397 per month |
| 🟩 55 – 64 Years | R499 per month |
| 🟦 >65 Years | R592 per month |
| 🟪 Cover for Families | 🟪 Monthly Contribution |
| 🟥 Where all insured are <65 Years | R499 per month |
| 🟧 Where one or more insured are >65 Years | R592 per month |
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Benefits and Cover Breakdown
| 🅰️ Section A - Medical Expense Shortfall Cover | 🅱️ Section B - Health Insurance Benefits |
| 🟧 In-hospital and out-of-hospital cover up to 300% of the medical aid tariff. | 🟧 Accidental Dentistry Cover provides cover for up to R25 700 benefit for accidental tooth fractures. This benefit is payable at a rate of R3 700 per fractured tooth irrespective of medical aid contribution to treatment cost. |
| 🟨 General co-payments for hospital admission, CT, PET, and MRI scans are covered. | 🟨 Accidental Death and Disability cover up to R50,000 for members under 65. |
| 🟩 Casualty and emergency room treatments covered up to R25,400 per policy annually. | 🟩 Trauma counseling covers up to R900 per session. Annual limit of R30,300 for treatment initiated within six months of the event paid up to six months of treatment. |
| 🟦 Emergency treatment for children under 11 at casualty facilities covered up to R2,800 per policy per year. | 🟦 Medical Aid Gap Cover Premium Waiver covers 12 times the combined medical aid, up to R122,400 for insured individuals under 65. |
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Exclusions and Waiting Periods
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Exclusions
💙Standard Bank’s GapAssist Essential Plan exclusions include, but are not limited to, the following, with the full list available here:- ✅ Cosmetic surgery, except when necessary due to illness or injury.
- ✅ Penalty co-payments for non-compliance with medical aid rules.
- ✅ Medication, materials, and external prosthetics.
- ✅ Cancer treatment or planned procedures received outside South Africa.
- ✅ Treatment for accidents or illnesses abroad for more than 90 days.
- ✅ Pre- and post-hospitalization doctor and specialist charges.
- ✅ Treatment for obesity or related conditions.
- ✅ Diagnosis or treatment of sleeping disorders.
- ✅ Treatment costs for services provided by allied health care professionals.
- ✅ Nuclear weapons or radiation.
- ✅ Suicide, self-injury, or non-prescribed drug use.
- ✅ Illness or injury caused by alcohol or illegal behavior.
- ✅ Participation in war, terrorism, or civil disturbances.
- ✅ Aviation accidents or racing activities.
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential Waiting Periods
💙The following can be said about Standard Bank GapAssist Essential’s waiting periods:- ✅ No general or condition-specific waiting periods are imposed after the policy starts.
- ✅ Medical conditions existing or diagnosed within 12 months before the policy start date will not be eligible for benefits for the first 12 months.
- ✅ Pregnancy before the policy start date is considered a pre-existing condition, and pregnancy and birth-related claims are excluded for the first 12 months.
- ✅ For benefits not covered under the previous policy, the full 12-month exclusion applies.
Standard Bank GapAssist Essential vs Other Gap Cover Plans
| 🔎 Provider | 🥇 Standard Bank GapAssist Essential | 🥈 Ambledown Gap Supreme | 🥉 Auto & General Absolute Gap Cover |
| 🟥 Years in Operation | 63 years (Standard Bank) | 20 years | 40 years |
| 🟧 Underwriters | Standard Insurance Limited | Guardrisk Insurance Company Limited | 1Life Insurance Limited |
| 🟨 Market Share in South Africa | <10% | 20% | <5% |
| 🟩 Gap Cover Waiting Period | 12 Months | 3 – 12 months | 10 months |
| 🟦 Do Exclusions Apply | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟪 Average Monthly Premium | R397 | R748 | R510 |
| 🟥 Oncology Benefit | None | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟧 In-Hospital Benefit | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟨 Out-of-Hospital Cover | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟩 Maternity Benefit | None | None | None |
| 🟦 Scopes and Scans | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟪 Co-payment Cover | None | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟥 Emergency Room | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟧 Accidental Cover | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟨 Trauma Counseling | ✅ Yes | None | None |
| 🟩 Premium Waiver | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟦 Non-DSP Co-Payment | None | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 🟪 Prostheses | None | None | ✅ Yes |
| 🟥 Travel Cover Extender | None | None | None |
| 🟧 Accidental Death/ Permanent Disability | ✅ Yes | None | None |
