Health & life insurance in South Africa: all guides

Health & life · South AfricaMedical aid in South Africa: the 16 open schemes, what it costs and how to compareThe Medical Schemes Act, the CMS, open and restricted schemes, waiting periods and late-joiner penalties.11 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaFuneral cover in South Africa 2026: how to compare policies, waiting periods and claimsThe rules every funeral policy must follow: waiting periods, the cap per life, claims in two business days.9 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaPrescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs): what every medical aid must payEmergencies, 271 DTPs, 26 chronic conditions, DSPs and how to get a PMB claim paid.6 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaHospital plan vs comprehensive medical aid vs hospital cash planMedical scheme hospital plan, comprehensive option or hospital cash plan: what each pays.5 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaGap cover in South Africa: what it pays, its 2026 limit and when it is worth itThe shortfall policy, its R226,881.03 annual limit for 2026, waiting periods and what it can't replace.5 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaUnclaimed benefits in South Africa: how to find a lost pension, life policy or inheritance, freeWhere unclaimed money sits — retirement funds, insurers, the Guardian's Fund — and the free official way to search and claim each one.5 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaIncome protection, disability and dread disease cover in South Africa: how they work, how they are taxed and how claims are decidedMonthly income or a lump sum if you cannot work or fall seriously ill: the law's definitions, tax since March 2015, ASISA's severity levels and your rights at claim time.5 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaCheapest medical aid in South Africa 2026? Compare 13 schemes' lowest and highest published contributions13 schemes side by side: the lowest-priced option of each, its 2026 main-member contribution, whether it is priced by income, and the source table.7 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaSizwe Hosmed medical aid in 2026: the curatorship, the eight options and what each costs a monthAn open scheme under court-ordered curatorship: what the curator says it changes, the eight 2026 options and their contributions, and the complaint steps.4 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaProfmed medical aid in 2026: who qualifies, the ten options and what each costs a monthThe scheme for professionals: ProPinnacle to ProSelect, Premium or Savvy network versions, with the 2026 contributions from Profmed's own schedule.4 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaBankmed medical aid in 2026: who can join, the six plans and their monthly contributions by incomeThe scheme of the banking and financial services industry: Essential, Basic, Core Saver, Traditional, Comprehensive and Plus, from Bankmed's own 2026 schedule.5 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaKeyHealth medical aid in 2026: the six options, what each costs a month and the hospital networkEssence, Origin, Equilibrium, Silver, Gold and Platinum: KeyHealth's 2026 premiums, which have savings, the hospital network and the 2027 table.4 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaMedshield medical aid in 2026: the ten options, their monthly contributions and hospital networksMediCurve, MediPhila, MediValue, MediPlus, MediCore, MediSaver, MediBonus and PremiumPlus: Medshield's 2026 contributions and which hospital network each uses.3 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaFedhealth medical aid in 2026: flexiFED, myFED, sureFED and maxima — every option's monthly contributionflexiFEDSavvy to maxima PLUS: Fedhealth's 2026 rates, what GRID and Elect change, myFED income bands, claims and complaints.4 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaMedihelp medical aid in 2026: the twelve plans, their monthly contributions and hospital networksMedMove! to MedPlus: Medihelp's 2026 contributions from its member guide, which plans use Tier 1, 2 or 3 networks, the savings share and the 7.5% for 2027.4 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaBestmed medical aid in 2026: Beat, Pace and Rhythm — the options and what each costs a monthBeat1 to Pace4 and the income-banded Rhythm options: Bestmed's 2026 contributions, which have savings, the network versions and how to claim.4 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaMomentum medical aid plans in 2026: Ingwe, Evolve, Custom, Incentive, Extender and Summit — what each costs a monthIngwe, Evolve, Custom, Incentive, Extender and Summit: Momentum's 2026 contributions as the scheme prints them, by family size, hospital and chronic provider choice.5 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaPOLMED medical aid in 2026: Marine and Aquarium, what SAPS members pay by income band, claims and complaintsThe South African Police Service Medical Scheme: Marine and Aquarium, the member's share and the full contribution by income band, from POLMED's own guide.4 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaGEMS medical aid in 2026: who can join, the six options and their monthly contributions by salary bandThe scheme for public servants: Tanzanite One, Beryl, Ruby, Emerald Value, Emerald and Onyx, priced by salary band, from GEMS's own 2026 brochure.5 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaBonitas medical aid plans in 2026: the 16 options, what each costs a month and which hospitals you can useBonCore to BonComprehensive: the 2026 contributions from Bonitas's own Annexure A, which options have savings, the network co-payments and the 2027 increase.6 min read · Updated 31 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaDiscovery medical aid plans in 2026: the eight series, what each costs and which hospitals you can useExecutive to KeyCare: the 2026 contributions from Discovery's own table, which plans have a savings account, the hospital networks and waiting periods.9 min read · Updated 30 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaMedical aid for pensioners in South Africa: age, penalties, staying on after retirement and taxNo age pricing, the late-joiner penalty bands, the right to stay on your scheme after retirement, and the bigger tax credit from 65.5 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaFuneral cover with no waiting period: when the law forbids one, and when it doesn'tAccidents, switching insurers, renewal and reinstatement: the five cases in which a funeral policy may impose no waiting period at all.4 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaFuneral cover for parents in South Africa: the rules, the waiting period and who gets paidCovering a mother or father: extended family policy or their own, the waiting period, switching, who receives the money, and paying from a grant.5 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaCouncil for Medical Schemes (CMS): what it does, how to complain and how to contact itThe regulator of medical aid: what it supervises, the complaint steps and deadlines, its 2025/26 figures and its contact details.4 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaMedical aid tax credit 2026/27: the amounts, who gets them and the additional creditThe monthly credit per member and dependant for 2026/27, the additional credit for out-of-pocket costs, and how SARS applies them.5 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaNHI in South Africa: where the National Health Insurance Act stands in October 2026Signed in May 2024, not yet in force: the court challenge and what it means for your medical aid.4 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaLife cover in South Africa: life insurance, disability, dread disease and income protectionThe four kinds of life policy, and the rules every South African life insurer must follow.8 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaCredit life insurance in South Africa: the price caps and your right to choose your own policyCapped by law at R4.50 per R1,000 (R2 for home loans) — and you may use your own policy.7 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaMedical aid tax credit calculator (2026/27): the SARS medical credits worked outR376 a month for you, R376 for the first dependant, R254 for each other one — plus the out-of-pocket credit.4 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaMedical aid late-joiner penalty calculator: your band under Regulation 13A = age − (35 + years of cover): find your band and the maximum loading on your contribution.3 min read · Updated 28 October 2026

Health & life · South AfricaCredit life insurance calculator: the legal maximum on your loan, card or bondR4.50 per R1,000 owed, R2 on a home loan: check whether your credit life premium is within the cap.3 min read · Updated 28 October 2026