Documents you need to join a medical aid: the full checklist

• A copy of your South African ID, or your passport and permit if you are not a citizen. Some schemes ask for a certified copy.
• Proof of your bank account for the debit order.
• Your email address and cellphone number.
• The completed application form from the scheme or your broker.
• Your income details, if the option is priced by income (see the next section).

Use the name on your ID everywhere on the form, so your details match the scheme's records.

Many options price by income. Discovery's KeyCare Start, for example, lists R1,436 for the lowest income band (income R0 - R10,950) and R3,765 for the top band (income R25,151 and above). Bonitas BonCap ranges from R1 730 (income R0 to R11 930) to R4 177 (income R25 171 and above). Bring a recent payslip, or bank statements or a tax document if you are self-employed. See medical aid for the self-employed.

Open schemes must accept any applicant who applies and can pay. Restricted schemes are for a particular employer group, profession, industry, association or union, so you also need proof that you qualify. That can be a payslip, an employer letter or a membership card. Ask the scheme for the exact document.

• Spouse or partner: marriage certificate or proof of partnership, plus their ID.
• Children: a birth certificate and ID for each child.
• Student dependant: proof of full-time study, where the child is above the normal age limit. The age limit differs by scheme. Medihelp's child rate, for example, is for dependants under 26.
• Other dependants, such as a parent: proof of dependency, subject to the scheme's approval.

Each adult and child adds to your contribution, and some options limit the number of children charged. Confirm the new total before you sign. To change dependants later, see the add or remove a dependant letter.

If you are moving from another scheme, ask the old scheme for a membership certificate or a letter showing your cover dates. It is your evidence of "creditable coverage". It matters for two reasons.

Waiting periods. A scheme may impose waiting periods only within the limits of section 29A of the Medical Schemes Act:

These are maximums. A scheme may impose shorter periods or none. Moving with no break does not automatically mean no waiting period, so ask the scheme in writing. See waiting periods and exclusions.

Late joiner penalty. If you are 35 or older, creditable cover counts against the penalty band. Penalties apply only to the late joiner's part of the contribution, with maximums of 5%, 25%, 50% and 75% by band. If you cannot get documents, a sworn affidavit is enough proof, and the scheme must recalculate if you produce evidence later. See late joiner penalty.

A scheme may ask for a medical report only about a condition for which you received or were advised to have treatment in the 12 months before you applied. It is worth bringing:

• A doctor's letter or script, and the diagnosis code if you know it, for any chronic condition you want registered from day one. See the chronic medication application letter.
• Details of any pre-existing condition, so the scheme can set waiting periods up front instead of at your first claim.

Prescribed Minimum Benefits are not subject to a waiting period in the shorter-gap categories above.

• Check every name, ID number and bank detail against your documents.
• Ask the scheme to confirm in writing which waiting periods and late joiner penalty apply to you.
• Keep copies of everything and your proof of submission.
• Keep your old scheme cover until the new one is confirmed. Do not create a break in cover. If you are unsure which plan to pick, use the questions to ask before joining.