Hospital Plans in South Africa

Hospital Plan vs Medical Aid

What is a Hospital Plan?

A Hospital Plan is a type of Medical Aid that pays for treatment when you're admitted to hospital, such as surgery, specialist care in hospital, theatre fees and ward costs. It usually costs less than a comprehensive Medical Aid plan because it covers little or nothing outside hospital.

Like all Medical Aid, Hospital Plans are governed by the Medical Schemes Act and regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes. By law, every Hospital Plan must cover Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs). These include emergency care and 271 diagnosis and treatment pairs. They also include medicine for the 26 conditions on the Chronic Disease List (CDL), so you're covered for that chronic medication even outside hospital.

Find the best hospital plan for you

Affordable Hospital Plans

Compare entry-level and network hospital plans from leading schemes

Hospital Plan costs and cover in 2026

Main-member rates for 2026. Some rates have conditions, shown next to the plan name.

Scheme	Plan	Monthly rate	Hospital access	Chronic benefits	Key Hospital Plan benefit
Bestmed	Beat1 Network	From R2,269	Bestmed hospital network	Qualifying PMB benefits	Network hospital cover with defined hospital benefits.
Bonitas	Hospital Standard	From R3,561	Bonitas hospital network	Defined chronic benefits	Network hospital cover with specified procedure co-payments.
CompCare	SelfCare Plus	From R2,820	Netcare and Mediclinic hospitals	Qualifying PMB benefits	Unlimited hospital cover plus a flexible savings account for day-to-day costs.
Discovery Health	Essential Core	From R3,356	Any private hospital approved by the scheme	Chronic Disease List conditions	Unlimited hospital cover, with a day surgery network for defined procedures.
Fedhealth	flexiFEDSavvy Hospital (under 35s)	From R1,155	Fedhealth network hospitals	Qualifying PMB chronic benefits	Lower-contribution network cover with a back-up savings facility.
KeyHealth	Essence	From R2,393	Designated hospital network	Defined chronic and oncology benefits	Hospital-focused cover through designated providers.
Medihelp	MedVital Elect	From R2,412	Medihelp network hospitals	271 PMB diagnoses and the Chronic Disease List	Specialised radiology cover in and out of hospital, with a co-payment per scan.
Medshield	MediCore	From R4,278	Compact Hospital Network	Qualifying PMB chronic benefits	Unlimited hospital cover, with in-hospital doctors paid at up to 200% of the Medshield Private Tariff.
Momentum Health	Custom Option (Associated hospitals, state chronic provider)	From R2,585	Associated hospitals	Chronic Disease List conditions, medicine from state facilities	Unlimited hospital cover. A R2,000 co-payment applies per authorisation, with exceptions such as emergencies.
Profmed	ProSelect Savvy	From R2,477	Savvy hospital network	Defined chronic benefits	Hospital cover for qualifying graduate professionals. Lower income-based rates apply below R20,000 household income.

2026 rates from each scheme's own documents. Some rates have age or income conditions.

What to compare for Hospital Plans

Understand networks, chronic benefits, co-payments and hospital access

Choose hospital networks

Check network hospitals near home, work and places you travel to often. Network plans cost less but pay in full only at listed hospitals, so a non-network hospital can mean a co-payment.

Review chronic benefits

Confirm approved medicines, chronic conditions and provider-network rules. Every plan covers the Chronic Disease List, but some add more conditions. You usually need to register and use a designated pharmacy.

Check admission co-payments

Compare planned-admission co-payments, authorisation rules and hospital exclusions. Some plans charge a fixed amount for certain procedures or non-network hospitals. Missing pre-authorisation can also lead to a penalty.

Consider specialist shortfalls

Check the rate your plan pays specialists in hospital. If a specialist charges more, you pay the difference, called a shortfall. Gap Cover may help with these shortfalls.

Review maternity benefits

Check maternity programmes, hospital access and waiting-period rules. Antenatal cover varies a lot between plans, and a waiting period of up to 12 months can apply if you're already pregnant.

Hospital Plan FAQs

What does a Hospital Plan cover in South Africa?

A Hospital Plan is a Medical Aid option that pays for treatment when you're admitted to hospital, such as surgery, specialist care in hospital, theatre fees and ward costs. Before a planned admission you get pre-authorisation from the scheme, which then pays the hospital and specialists at its set rate, subject to the plan's network and any co-payments. Every Hospital Plan must also cover Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs): emergencies, 271 diagnosis and treatment pairs and the Chronic Disease List conditions. Emergencies that qualify as PMBs must be covered even at a non-network hospital. Day-to-day costs, such as GP visits and acute medicine, are usually not covered.

What is the cheapest Hospital Plan in South Africa?

Of the plans compared on this page, the lowest 2026 main-member contribution is Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy Hospital at R1,155 a month, but it's only for people under 35. Without an age or income condition, the lowest on this page is Bestmed Beat1 Network at R2,269 a month, followed by KeyHealth Essence at R2,393. Cheaper plans usually limit you to a network of hospitals, so check that there's a network hospital near you.

Do Hospital Plans cover chronic medication?

Hospital Plans must cover medicine for the conditions on the Chronic Disease List (CDL) by law, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and epilepsy, as well as HIV. You usually need to register your condition with the scheme and use its medicine list and designated pharmacies to avoid co-payments. Some plans cover more conditions than the CDL. If you manage a chronic condition that isn't on the CDL, check which plans cover your specific condition before you join.

Is a Hospital Plan better than a Medical Aid?

A Hospital Plan is a type of Medical Aid, so the real choice is between a Hospital Plan and a plan with day-to-day cover. A Hospital Plan costs less because it mainly covers hospital admissions and Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs). A comprehensive plan costs more but also pays for day-to-day care, such as GP visits, dentistry, optometry and acute medicine. Compare what you spend on healthcare in a year against the difference in monthly contributions.

Explore more Medical Aid options

Looking for more specific cover? Explore related pages to find the right Medical Aid for your family.

Compare Medical Aid plans

Get quotes from Discovery, Bonitas, Momentum, Fedhealth and more. Compare all in one place, in minutes.

Medical Aid for children

Everything parents need to know about adding children as dependants: costs, waiting periods and what is covered.

Medical Aid for pregnant women

Compare plans by maternity benefits and waiting periods for pregnant women in South Africa.

Medical Aid for young adults

Starting your career? Find the right entry-level plan or Hospital Plan for your life stage.

Compare hospital plans in South Africa today

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, medical or insurance advice. Hippo is a comparison site helping you evaluate quotes from trusted South African insurers. Always review policy details before making changes. Quotes are risk profile dependent and subject to annual review. No fees are charged for using Hippo’s comparison service. HAS (Pty) Ltd and HCS (Pty) Ltd are authorised FSPs. Terms and conditions apply.

Hippo Comparative Services (Pty) Ltd is an authorised financial service provider.

FSP number: 16357. Block A, Steyn City Capital Park, Erling Road, Riverglen, Dainfern, 2191

*This Medical Aid comparison is powered by Hippo Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd FSP No. 36088. Please note that this service is not available to intermediaries. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or medical advice.