Medical aid in South Africa
Every open medical scheme in South Africa, the larger restricted schemes, and the health insurance brands people mistake for medical aid. Each review lists the scheme's 2026 plans and published contributions, its contact numbers and what changed this year, all checked on the scheme's own website on 29 September 2026.
Scheme reviews
GEMS medical aid in 2026: options, benefits and who can join
GEMS medical aid in 2026: who qualifies, the six options from Tanzanite One to Onyx, the 9.5% increase, network rules and how to apply or complain.
Discovery Health Medical Scheme in 2026: plans, benefits and who it suits
Discovery Health Medical Scheme in 2026: eight plan series from KeyCare to Executive, who each suits, the April 2026 increase, networks and how to join.
Medical aid contact numbers in South Africa
Member, emergency and pre-authorisation numbers for 32 South African medical schemes, each checked on the scheme's own website on 29 September 2026.
Bonitas Medical Fund 2026: plans, benefits, the Momentum Health move and who it suits
Bonitas medical aid for 2026: the plan range, network rules, the June 2026 move to Momentum Health, waiting periods, how to join and how to complain.
Bestmed Medical Scheme 2026: Beat, Pace and Rhythm plans explained
Bestmed medical aid for 2026: 14 options across the Beat, Pace and Rhythm ranges, network rules, the 6.8% increase, joining and how to complain.
Momentum Medical Scheme 2026: the six options, Ingwe, HealthSaver+ and who it suits
Momentum Health medical aid for 2026: the six Momentum Medical Scheme options, Ingwe, HealthSaver+, Health4Me, waiting periods, joining and complaints.
Medshield Medical Scheme: 2026 options, the 7.9% increase for 2027 and who it suits
Medshield medical aid for 2026: all eight options from MediCurve to PremiumPlus, network rules, the 7.9% increase for 2027, joining and complaints.
KeyHealth medical aid: 2026 plans, hospital network rules, prices and how to join
KeyHealth medical aid for 2026: six options from Essence to Platinum, DSP hospital rules, chronic cover, local government members and how to join.
Medihelp medical aid: 2026 plans, network rules, increases and how to join
Medihelp medical aid plans for 2026: 11 plans from the MedMove! student option to MedPlus, network rules, savings, chronic cover, how to join and complain.
Fedhealth medical aid plans for 2026: who they suit, what changed and what is coming in 2027
Fedhealth medical aid plans for 2026: five plan families, network rules, chronic cover, the announced 2027 increases, how to join and how to complain.
LA Health medical aid in 2026: who can join, the six options, prices and how the Discovery link works
LA Health medical aid for 2026: restricted to local government employees. Six options from LA KeyPlus to LA Comprehensive, run by Discovery Health.
Sizwe Hosmed medical aid in 2026: curatorship, plans, the old Hosmed and what to check first
Sizwe Medical Aid (Sizwe Hosmed) is under provisional curatorship since 4 September 2025. 2026 plans, solvency, the Hosmed merger, and how to join or leave.
Polmed medical aid in 2026: Marine and Aquarium options for SAPS members
Polmed in 2026: a closed scheme for SAPS employees with two options, Marine and Aquarium. Who can join, the employer subsidy, network rules and complaints.
Genesis Medical Scheme: plans, benefits and who it suits in 2026
Genesis medical aid review for 2026: an open, self-administered scheme with three options, a 4.7% increase, strong reserves and no hospital network.
Umvuzo Health Medical Scheme: a restricted scheme, plans and cover in 2026
Umvuzo Health is a restricted scheme, so you can only join through a participating employer. See its five 2026 options, 7.99% increase and solvency.
Bankmed medical aid in 2026: six plans for banking-sector employees
Bankmed in 2026: a closed scheme for banking-sector employers with six plans from Essential to Plus, a 7.4% average increase, and how to join or complain.
Profmed medical aid in 2026: who qualifies, the five options, prices and how to join
Profmed medical aid for 2026: restricted to professionals with a tertiary qualification and experience. Five options, Savvy network versions, how to join.
CompCare Medical Scheme: plans, finances and who it suits in 2026
CompCare medical aid review for 2026: an open scheme below the 25% solvency minimum and on a recovery plan, its plans, 9.49% increase and the Selfmed merger.
CAMAF medical aid: who can join, plans and contacts for 2026
CAMAF is a restricted scheme for CA(SA) and related accountants and their firms. See who qualifies, the 2026 plans, chronic cover and how to join.
Affinity Health: health insurance, not medical aid (2026 review)
Affinity Health is health insurance underwritten by Affinity Life, not a medical scheme. What its plans cover, hospital limits and waiting periods.
Makoti Medical Scheme: options, hospital cover and who it suits
Makoti medical aid review for 2026: an open scheme with a Primary and a Comprehensive option, state or private hospital cover, and how to join.
Thebemed Medical Scheme: plans, eligibility and finances in 2026
Thebemed medical aid review for 2026: a CMS-registered open scheme for mining, logistics and farm workers, four options, and its 2019 to 2022 curatorship.
Sasolmed: a restricted scheme with income-based contributions in 2026
Sasolmed is restricted to Sasol employees and pensioners. See how income-based contributions work, its two network options and the 2026 increase.
What happened to Spectramed Medical Scheme, and where to go now
Spectramed no longer exists: it merged into Health Squared in 2019, which was liquidated in 2023. See what former members can do and open alternatives.
Anglo Medical Scheme: restricted plans, 2026 changes and contact route
Anglo Medical Scheme for 2026: a restricted scheme for Anglo American, Mondi and Mpact staff, not open to the public. Plans and contact route.
Cape Medical Plan (CMP Medical Aid): 2026 options and who it suits
Cape Medical Plan review for 2026: an open scheme with two hospital-led options, contact route at cmp.co.za, and how to join and complain.
Medimed Medical Scheme: 2026 options, savings plans and who can join
Medimed medical aid review for 2026: an open Eastern Cape scheme with four options, savings and network plans, contact route, and how to join.
Platinum Health Medical Scheme: who can join, options and contact route
Platinum Health medical aid for 2026: a restricted mining scheme, so not open to the public. Options, 50 km rule, contact route and how members join.
Remedi Medical Aid Scheme: restricted to Remgro staff, options and contact
Remedi medical aid for 2026: a restricted scheme for Remgro group employees, not open to the public. Options, 2026 changes and contact route.
Suremed Health: 2026 plans, contact route and the planned 2027 merger
Suremed Health review for 2026: a small open scheme with four options, a merger planned for 1 January 2027, contact route and how to join.
Choosing a plan
Best medical aid in South Africa in 2026: which fits your needs
Best medical aid in South Africa in 2026 by need: family, hospital only, chronic, young and healthy, pensioner, with verified plan prices and scheme facts.
Hospital plan vs comprehensive medical aid: which one fits you?
A hospital plan is medical aid that covers hospital stays and PMBs; comprehensive plans add day-to-day cover at a higher price. 2026 prices and how to choose.
List of medical aid schemes in South Africa for 2026
All the medical aid schemes we track in South Africa for 2026: 16 open schemes anyone can join, restricted employer schemes, and look-alike insurance.
Health insurance vs medical aid: what is the difference in South Africa?
Medical aid is a regulated medical scheme; health insurance is an insurance policy that pays set amounts. How they differ on PMBs, price and complaints.
Network vs traditional medical aid plans: what you save and what you give up
A network plan costs less because you use a set list of hospitals and providers. 2026 prices for network and non-network versions, plus the co-payment risk.
Costs & contributions
Hospital plans in South Africa in 2026: prices compared
Hospital plans in South Africa in 2026: every verified open-scheme hospital plan with its monthly price, how hospital plans work, and the gaps to plan for.
Cheapest medical aid in South Africa in 2026: verified prices and the catches
The cheapest medical aid in South Africa in 2026 from open schemes, by plan type, with verified prices, network and co-payment catches and cheap insurance.
Medical aid increases for 2027: what has been announced so far
Medical aid increases for 2027: what Medshield and Fedhealth announced, which big schemes had not, the CMS 3.8% benchmark and what to do before January.
How much does medical aid cost in South Africa in 2026?
How much does medical aid cost in 2026? Verified monthly prices by plan type from open schemes, what drives the price and what to expect for 2027.
Low income medical aid in South Africa in 2026: income bands and prices
Low income medical aid in South Africa in 2026: income-banded plans with verified bands and prices, what you give up, and cheap cover that is not medical aid.
By member
Medical aid for families in South Africa: plans, child rates and costs for 2026
Medical aid for families in 2026: how child rates and caps work, family plans compared with verified prices, newborn rules and the family tax credit.
Medical aid for pensioners and SASSA pensioners in South Africa (2026)
Medical aid for pensioners in 2026: hospital plan prices, late-joiner penalty bands, the over-65 tax credit and low-income options for SASSA pensioners.
Medical aid for students in South Africa: the cheapest options in 2026
Medical aid for students in 2026: Medihelp MedMove! at R804, staying on a parent's plan, income-based options, waiting periods and cheap cover to avoid.
Medical aid for pregnancy and maternity cover in South Africa (2026)
Medical aid for pregnancy in 2026: waiting periods by situation, whether maternity cover can start immediately, plans with maternity benefits, and your baby.
Plan guides
Discovery KeyCare plans in 2026: Plus, Core, Start and Start Regional explained
Discovery KeyCare in 2026: the four plans, prices by income band, how the network works, who it suits and what to check before you join.
Discovery Saver plans in 2026: Classic, Essential, Delta, Coastal and Smart Saver compared
Discovery Saver plans in 2026: Classic, Essential, Delta, Coastal and the new Smart Saver compared on price, savings account, network and who each suits.
Momentum Ingwe 2026 explained: income bands, hospital choice, contact details and who it suits
Momentum Ingwe for 2026: prices from R645 to R4 546 by income band, hospital choices, who it suits, students, contact details and how to join.
Bonitas BonCap and BonCore 2026: income bands, network, contact details and who qualifies
Bonitas BonCap for 2026: prices by income band, the network hospital and GP rules, BonCore, who qualifies and the separate BonCap contact number.
Health insurance
Dis-Chem medical aid: what Dis-Chem Health covers and what it does not
Dis-Chem Health is health insurance, not a medical scheme, and it has no hospital cover for illness. What MyHealth, Accident Cover and Gap Cover pay.
Netcare medical aid: the Netcare Medical Scheme, NetcarePlus and Medicross
The Netcare Medical Scheme is only for Netcare staff. NetcarePlus GapCare and Accident Cover are Hollard insurance, not medical aid. What each covers.
Oneplan medical aid: what Oneplan Health Insurance covers
Oneplan is not a medical aid. Its health plans are Bryte insurance with fixed limits, and the entry plan has no hospital cover. What each plan pays.
Kaelo medical aid: what Kaelo Health, Kaelo Gap and Prime Cure are
Kaelo is not a medical scheme. It administers health insurance and gap cover insured by Centriq, including Dis-Chem Health. What it covers and does not.
Sanlam and Old Mutual medical aid: gap cover, health insurance and partner schemes
Neither Sanlam nor Old Mutual runs a medical scheme. They sell gap cover and health insurance and refer members to Fedhealth and Medihelp. What each covers.