About MedicalAidZA

MedicalAidZA is an independent South African information service that helps people make better decisions about medical aid schemes, plans and benefits. We are not a medical scheme, a broker, or an adviser, and we do not sell cover.

Medical aid is confusing on purpose - dozens of schemes, hundreds of plans, and fine print on benefits, co-payments, waiting periods and gap cover. We translate that fine print into plain language and give away the templates and tools members actually need.

What we cover

MedicalAidZA is built around three things. The first is the schemes: we profile the major South African medical schemes - Discovery Health, Bonitas, Momentum, GEMS, Bestmed, Fedhealth, Medihelp, Medshield and more - and explain their plan ranges, contributions and benefits. The second is guides and help: how to join, claim, hospital plans, prescribed minimum benefits (PMBs), gap cover, waiting periods and tax credits. The third is free templates and tools: resignation and complaint letters, claim and PMB letters, and comparison checklists.

How we keep it accurate

Scheme pages are checked against each scheme's own website, 2026 plan brochures and contribution tables, and against the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) and SARS for the rules that apply to everyone. Contact numbers are only published when we have found them on the scheme's own site, and we keep a record of the page and the exact wording each number came from. When a scheme merges, closes or renames a plan, we say so on the page.

Contributions change every January, so every page carries the date it was last checked, and prices are the schemes' published figures, not quotes. We deliberately flag the things that catch members out: waiting periods, late joiner penalties, co-payments, sub-limits, network restrictions and the difference between a medical scheme and health insurance.

Our editorial standards

We write in plain language, we do not use scare tactics, and we link to primary sources so you can verify what you read and act on your rights. Every scheme and guide page repeats a short reminder to confirm details with the scheme, and explains where to complain: the CMS for medical schemes, and the National Financial Ombud for health insurance and gap cover.

How we fund this

MedicalAidZA is free for members. We may show advertising to cover our costs. Advertising never changes our editorial guidance or the order in which we list schemes.

Who writes MedicalAidZA

We link to primary sources where we can - the Council for Medical Schemes for registered schemes, your rights and complaints, and SARS for the medical tax credits - so you can verify what you read.