Bonitas BonCap and BonCore 2026: income bands, network, contact details and who qualifies

BonCap sits in its own group on the Bonitas plan list, labelled income-based. It is a network plan: hospital cover is unlimited at a BonCap network hospital, and the plan also pays for unlimited GP or Registered Nurse consultations if you use a nominated BonCap network GP. It is more than a hospital-only plan, because GP visits are built in.

BonCore is a different plan. Bonitas lists it as a hospital plan, new for 2026, described as a digitally enabled network hospital plan with day-to-day funding for GP consultations, virtual-first primary care and the Benefit Booster. It is priced the same for the main member, adult dependants and children, and does not use income bands.

Both are lower-cost plans that trade choice for a lower contribution. Bonitas puts their members on a separate service line, but they are still members of the same open scheme with the same registration and complaint rights.

Your BonCap contribution depends on your income. These are the main-member prices from the Bonitas 2026 plan table:

In the lowest and the top bands an adult dependant pays the same as the main member, and a child dependant pays R815 in the lowest band and R1 585 in the top band. We have not verified dependant prices for the two middle bands, so ask Bonitas for them. For a couple with two children in the lowest band you would add R1 730 for your partner and R815 for each child on top of your own R1 730.

BonCore is R1 275 for every beneficiary, adult or child, which is less than the lowest BonCap band. It is worth comparing the two for your family, since the benefits are different.

Bonitas is an open scheme, so it must accept any applicant who can pay the contribution. BonCap is not restricted to a job or profession. Your income decides which price band you pay in, not whether you are accepted.

The top band, R25 171+, is open-ended, so the published table does not show an income ceiling. What we could not verify is which income counts, whether it is your own or the household's, how it is measured or what proof Bonitas asks for. Ask before you apply, and keep your payslip or bank statements handy. If your income changes, ask when the band is reviewed.

Medical schemes must charge by income and number of dependants, not by age or health, so an income-based plan is a normal part of the system. Bonitas or any open scheme can still apply waiting periods and late joiner penalties, covered below.

The rules are simple, but the consequences of breaking them are not.

• Hospital: unlimited cover at a BonCap network hospital, paid at 100% of the BonCap Rate.
• Non-network hospital: a 30% co-payment applies.
• GP: unlimited GP or Registered Nurse consultations, but only with your nominated BonCap network GP.

Before you join, check the hospital you would use and a GP near your home or work against the network lists that Bonitas publishes. If your nearest hospital is not in the network, the 30% co-payment could cost more than the saving. Emergencies are different: the Council for Medical Schemes says you may go to the nearest facility in an emergency and prescribed minimum benefit emergency treatment must be paid in full. Read designated service providers and pre-authorisation before a planned admission.

Band definitions differ, so a lower starting price does not mean lower cost at your income. Ingwe's lowest band ends at R1 550 while BonCap's ends at R11 930. Compare at your own income. Also compare the network, since a cheap plan is only useful if your hospital and GP are in it. See low-income medical aid and the cheapest medical aid page.

Bonitas publishes separate details for BonCap and BonCore members. All of the numbers below are from the Bonitas support page.

• BonCap and BonCore general queries: 0861 239 333, or email [email protected].
• WhatsApp support (both member groups): 076 172 3151.
• Hospital authorisations (both groups): 0860 002 108 or [email protected].
• Ambulance: 0860 555 505. Give your name, telephone number and medical aid number.
• Urgent escalation: [email protected], only for life-threatening or clinically urgent access-to-care problems.
• Council for Medical Schemes: +27 86 112 3267, if the scheme does not resolve your complaint.

Members on all other plans use 0860 002 108 for general queries. Our contact numbers hub lists other schemes.

Waiting periods are set by section 29A of the Medical Schemes Act. If you have had no cover for at least 90 days, a scheme may impose up to three months general and up to 12 months condition-specific waiting periods. If you had cover and the gap was under 90 days, only one of the two can apply, and PMB treatment is excluded from those shorter-gap waiting periods. These are maximums.

A late joiner penalty can apply if you are 35 or older and not continuously covered. See the late joiner guide and waiting periods.

The medical scheme fees tax credit for 2026/27 is R376 a month for you, R376 for the first dependant and R254 for each further dependant. It reduces your tax and is not paid out in cash, so if you pay little or no income tax you may not benefit from it. See the tax credit guide.

Bonitas moved scheme administration to Momentum Health on 1 June 2026, and Private Healthcare Administrators took over managed care. On 27 July 2026 Bonitas apologised for delays in authorisations, claims and enquiries after the move. If you are on BonCap or BonCore and a claim is stuck, keep your reference numbers and escalate to the scheme first, then the Council for Medical Schemes. See the complaints guide.

Contributions across Bonitas plans rose by 8.8% on average for 2026, with some strategic options kept below that. Bonitas had not announced 2027 increases when we checked on 29 September 2026. Follow the 2027 increases page.