Last reviewed: October 2026. We review our guides regularly to keep them accurate.
By Hagop Jaghlassian, CEO at Curemed. Reviewed by Roxanne Hurter-Ehlers, Director of People and Governance.
Total Risk Administrators (TRA) has published its Gap Cover premiums for 2027. Curemed set the official 2026 and 2027 brochures side by side. The individual premium on Basic Cover 300 stays at R99 a month. Every other premium rises, by 6.4% to 6.9% on Basic Cover 300 family and over 65 policies and on Vital Cover Plus, and by 8.9% to 9.1% on Super Cover Plus and Absolute Cover Plus. The largest rand increase is R76 a month, on Absolute Cover Plus where the oldest beneficiary is 65 or older. TRA does not publish an average increase, so every percentage on this page is a Curemed calculation from the two brochures.
In short: TRA Gap Cover increase 2027
- Basic Cover 300 individual: R99 in 2026 and R99 in 2027, no increase. Family R197 to R210 (6.6%). Over 65 R394 to R421 (6.9%).
- Vital Cover Plus: R394 to R420 under 65 (6.6%) and R591 to R629 over 65 (6.4%).
- Super Cover Plus: R417 to R455 under 65 (9.1%) and R626 to R682 over 65 (8.9%).
- Absolute Cover Plus: R681 to R742 under 65 (9.0%) and R846 to R922 over 65 (9.0%).
- Tariff shortfall cover stays at 300% of scheme rate on Basic Cover 300 and 700% on the three Plus products. Rand limits on co-payments, casualty visits and theatre and ward shortfalls rise by about 4% to 5%.
- Premiums are per policy per month and are set by the age of the oldest beneficiary. The policies are underwritten by Auto and General Insurance Company Limited. TRA is FSP 40815.
Curemed (Pty) Ltd, trading as Curemed Health and Wealth Consultants, is an authorised financial services provider, FSP 44098, and places TRA Gap Cover policies for its clients. The figures below are taken from the TRA brochures and are not affected by that relationship.
What does TRA Gap Cover cost in 2027 compared with 2026?
Both figures in each row come from the TRA premiums and benefits brochures: the 2026 brochure, dated 30 October 2025, and the 2027 brochure, dated 4 October 2026 and last modified 19 October 2026. The premium is per policy per month, and on the three Plus products it depends on whether the oldest beneficiary on the policy is under 65 or 65 and older.
| Product | Band | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Cover 300 | Individual | R99 | R99 | R0, 0% |
| Basic Cover 300 | Family | R197 | R210 | R13, 6.6% |
| Basic Cover 300 | Oldest beneficiary 65 or older | R394 | R421 | R27, 6.9% |
| Vital Cover Plus | Under 65 | R394 | R420 | R26, 6.6% |
| Vital Cover Plus | 65 or older | R591 | R629 | R38, 6.4% |
| Super Cover Plus | Under 65 | R417 | R455 | R38, 9.1% |
| Super Cover Plus | 65 or older | R626 | R682 | R56, 8.9% |
| Absolute Cover Plus | Under 65 | R681 | R742 | R61, 9.0% |
| Absolute Cover Plus | 65 or older | R846 | R922 | R76, 9.0% |
Two patterns stand out. The entry level products rise by less than the comprehensive ones: Basic Cover 300 and Vital Cover Plus sit between 0% and 6.9%, while Super Cover Plus and Absolute Cover Plus sit at about 9%. And the over 65 premium on each product rises by roughly the same percentage as the under 65 premium, so the gap between the two age bands in rand terms widens only slightly.
For context, the medical schemes Curemed tracks have stated 2027 contribution increases of 7.35% to 8.9% where an average was given. Our medical aid increase 2027 tracker sets those out scheme by scheme.
What changes in the TRA benefits for 2027?
The core of each product is unchanged. Basic Cover 300 covers tariff shortfalls up to 300% of the scheme rate in both years, and Vital Cover Plus, Super Cover Plus and Absolute Cover Plus cover up to 700%. Cover for Prescribed Minimum Benefit shortfalls, the structure of the co-payment benefit, and the exclusions are carried over.
What moves are the rand limits inside the products. From the two brochures:
| Benefit | Product | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tariff shortfall cover, percentage of scheme rate | Basic Cover 300 / Plus products | 300% / 700% | 300% / 700% |
| Theatre and ward fees, consumables and laparoscopic equipment shortfalls | Basic / Vital / Super / Absolute | R525 / R1 050 / R3 150 / R5 250 | R550 / R1 100 / R3 310 / R5 510 |
| Casualty unit benefit, accidents | Basic / Vital / Super / Absolute | Up to R3 640 / R9 700 / R14 335 / R24 255 | Up to R3 820 / R10 190 / R15 050 / R25 470 |
| In network co-payment benefit for in hospital procedures | Super / Absolute | Up to R14 335 / R66 150 | Up to R15 050 / R69 460 |
| In network co-payment benefit | Vital Cover Plus | No benefit | No benefit |
The rand limits rise by about 4% to 5%, which is less than the premium increase on the Plus products. The 2026 brochure states the overall annual limit per insured person as R219 845. The 2027 brochure refers to the applicable statutory annual limit without printing the rand figure, so Curemed has not stated a 2027 overall limit here.
How is the TRA premium decided?
Three rules in the brochure decide what you pay. The premium is per policy, so one premium covers the principal insured and the dependants on that policy. On Vital Cover Plus, Super Cover Plus and Absolute Cover Plus the premium is set by the age of the oldest beneficiary, with one rate under 65 and one rate at 65 and older. On Basic Cover 300 the premium is set by whether the policy covers an individual or a family, with the 65 and older rate applying where the oldest beneficiary has reached that age.
That means the premium for a household can step up in the year the oldest beneficiary turns 65, independently of the annual increase. For 2027 that step is R209 a month on Vital Cover Plus, R227 on Super Cover Plus and R180 on Absolute Cover Plus.
Does a medical aid option change affect your TRA policy?
Not directly. Gap Cover is a short-term insurance policy, not a medical scheme benefit, so the option change cut-off set by your scheme does not apply to it. The policy renews on the terms set by the insurer and the new premium applies from 1 January 2027.
What a scheme option change can do is alter the shortfall you are exposed to. A move to an option with a lower rate of specialist cover, a hospital network, or higher procedure co-payments changes the size of the gap, and that is the moment to check whether the TRA product you hold still fits. The 2027 scheme increases and option change deadlines are in our medical aid increase 2027 tracker, and our Gap Cover page explains what the products cover.
If you hold a TRA policy through Curemed, or want to know whether one belongs alongside your 2027 medical aid option, a Curemed Advisor can confirm the premium on your product and compare it with the alternatives. Curemed has advised South African households on medical scheme cover since 1992 and works with members in all nine provinces. There is no obligation.
Which other questions come up about the TRA increase?
Has TRA published an average increase for 2027?
No. The TRA brochure publishes the 2027 premiums without a comparison to 2026 or an average. The percentages on this page are Curemed calculations from the 2026 and 2027 brochures.
Which TRA product did not increase for 2027?
The individual premium on Basic Cover 300 stays at R99 a month. The family premium on the same product rises from R197 to R210, and the premium where the oldest beneficiary is 65 or older rises from R394 to R421.
Which TRA product has the largest increase for 2027?
In percentage terms Super Cover Plus under 65, at 9.1%, from R417 to R455. In rand terms Absolute Cover Plus where the oldest beneficiary is 65 or older, up R76 a month from R846 to R922.
From when do the 2027 premiums apply?
The 2027 brochure covers the 2027 policy year and the TRA product pages describe cover starting from January 2027. Your renewal notice from TRA or your Advisor will state the premium that applies to your policy.
Who underwrites TRA Gap Cover?
Auto and General Insurance Company Limited, a licensed non-life insurer, with Total Risk Administrators (Pty) Ltd, FSP 40815, as the administrator. The travel benefit attached to the policies is underwritten separately by Guardrisk Insurance Company Limited.
Is Gap Cover a substitute for medical aid?
No. TRA states on its brochure that Gap Cover policies are not medical schemes, are not the same as medical schemes and are not substitutes for medical scheme membership. You must belong to a registered medical scheme to hold a Gap Cover policy, and the policy pays only on claims the scheme has processed.
