Last reviewed: November 2026. How we work: our editorial standards, corrections policy and how Curemed is paid. General information, not advice. A personalised recommendation follows a written needs analysis under the FAIS Act.
By Martin Janse van Rensburg, Sales Manager and Financial Advisor at Curemed. Reviewed by Roxanne Hurter-Ehlers, Director of People and Governance.
For 2027, only one true hospital-only plan stays under R1,500 a month on the scheme tables Curemed has checked: Profmed ProSelect Savvy at R1,150, and Profmed is a restricted scheme for graduate professionals. Discovery KeyCare Core, the other hospital-only option under the line in 2026, rises to R1,623 in its lowest income band from 1 January 2027.
Search for hospital plans under R1,500 in South Africa and you will find long lists that look generous but do not survive scrutiny. In my day-to-day advisory work at Curemed, members often ask me for genuine hospital-only cover on a tight budget. For the rest of 2026 the honest answer is two plans, ProSelect Savvy at R1,078 and KeyCare Core at R1,490. Both are income-banded and network-restricted, so the advertised contribution only applies if household or personal income falls within the entry band, and only if you use the hospitals on the approved network of the scheme.
Three further options cost less than R1,500 in 2027: flexiFEDSavvy from Fedhealth, BonCore from Bonitas and the new Core option from KeyHealth. Each of them includes day-to-day GP benefits, so calling them hospital-only would mislead you. That distinction matters, and it shapes everything below.
In short
- 2027: Profmed ProSelect Savvy at R1,150 is the only true hospital-only plan under R1,500 on the tables Curemed has checked, and Profmed is restricted to graduate professionals.
- Discovery KeyCare Core moves from R1,490 to R1,623 in its lowest income band, so it leaves the under R1,500 list from 1 January 2027.
- Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy (R1,252), Bonitas BonCore (R1,368) and the new KeyHealth Core (R1,460) cost under R1,500 in 2027 but include GP benefits, so they are not hospital-only.
- Until 31 December 2026 the 2026 rates apply: ProSelect Savvy R1,078 and KeyCare Core R1,490.
- Every option uses a hospital network, and Prescribed Minimum Benefits apply on all of them by law.
What does a hospital plan actually cover?
A hospital plan funds treatment while you are admitted to hospital, usually at a defined network of facilities. It is designed for the large, unpredictable events: surgery, trauma, serious illness that requires admission.
What it generally does not fund is the everyday layer: GP visits, acute medicine, dentistry and optometry. On a true hospital-only option, those costs come out of your own pocket. If you want day-to-day benefits as well, you are looking at a different product class, and I explain the pricing of that class in our guide on how much medical aid costs in South Africa. For the cheapest hospital option at every scheme, not only those under R1,500, see our 2027 hospital plans comparison.
Which options sit under R1,500 in 2026 and 2027?
The table shows the principal member contribution for 2026 and 2027, with the two hospital-only plans listed first. The 2027 figures come from the 2027 contribution documents each scheme has published and apply from 1 January 2027. Schemes publish them subject to registration or approval by the Council for Medical Schemes, so treat them as final only once your scheme confirms them. For 2027 the Council for Medical Schemes recommended in Circular 20 of 2026 that increases be anchored at 3.8%; our medical aid increase 2027 tracker sets out what each scheme actually filed.
| Scheme and option | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 adult / child | Hospital-only or includes day-to-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profmed ProSelect Savvy (restricted scheme) | R1,078 (income R0 to R20,000) | R1,150 (income R0 to R40,000) | R1,450 / R880 | Hospital-only, Savvy Hospital Network |
| Discovery Health Medical Scheme KeyCare Core | R1,490 (income R0 to R10,250) | R1,623 (income R0 to R10,650), above R1,500 | R1,623 / R425 | Hospital-only plus chronic medicine cover, KeyCare Hospital Network |
| Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy (hospital plan version) | R1,155 | R1,252 | R1,252 / R920 | Includes day-to-day: unlimited virtual GP consultations, three in-person GP consultations from risk |
| Bonitas BonCore | R1,275 | R1,368 | R1,368 / R1,368 (flat rate) | Includes day-to-day: virtual and network GP consultations, Benefit Booster |
| KeyHealth Core (new for 2027) | Not offered | R1,460 | R1,460 / R1,460 (flat rate) | Includes day-to-day: unlimited DigiDoc virtual consultations and three in-person GP consultations |
Profmed is a restricted scheme open to graduate professionals only, so most readers will not qualify. Profmed states that its 2027 benefits are subject to ratification by the Council for Medical Schemes. KeyCare Core carries an out-of-hospital specialist limit on referral, with no other day-to-day cover. KeyHealth Core pays unlimited private hospital cover at its designated network hospitals and applies a R15,300 co-payment at a non-network hospital. Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy uses network hospitals up to PMB level of care.
What changes for these plans in 2027?
Three movements matter. KeyCare Core rises by 8.93% in every band, which takes the lowest band to R1,623 and puts it above R1,500 for the first time. ProSelect Savvy rises by 6.68% in the lower band, from R1,078 to R1,150, and Profmed has doubled the income threshold for that band from R20,000 to R40,000 a month, so more Profmed households now qualify for the lower rate. KeyHealth adds Core, a new entry-level network option at a flat R1,460 per person.
If you are on KeyCare Core and your budget is fixed at R1,500, compare it with the options in the table before your scheme cut-off date, not after. Discovery has published no 2027 plan change deadline on its own documents at the time of writing, so do not assume 31 December. The 2027 increase tracker lists the cut-off dates each scheme has published.
How does income banding change what you pay?
Income banding is the mechanism that makes these prices possible, and it is the detail most advertising leaves out. On ProSelect Savvy in 2027, a household earning R40,001 or more pays R2,650 for the same option, more than double the entry rate (2026: R2,477 above R20,000).
KeyCare Core works the same way. In 2027 the R1,623 rate applies to incomes of R0 to R10,650 a month. Earn R10,651 to R17,250 and the contribution becomes R2,025. Earn R17,251 or more and it becomes R3,099. Schemes verify income, so band yourself honestly at application stage. If your budget stretches slightly further and you want richer cover at a similar price point, compare the wider field of medical aid options under R1,500 in South Africa.
What does it cost to use a hospital outside the network?
Every option in the table trades price for a restricted hospital list, and the penalty for ignoring that list is real. Bonitas BonCore charged a R14,680 co-payment in 2026 if a member used a hospital outside the BonCore network, plus a R5,500 per-admission co-payment, waived for motor vehicle accidents, maternity and PMB emergencies. KeyHealth Core applies a R15,300 co-payment at a non-network hospital in 2027. Check the 2027 co-payment amounts for your option in the scheme brochure, because rand co-payments are often adjusted each year.
The legal framework sits in Regulation 8 of the Medical Schemes Act Regulations. Regulation 8(2) allows a scheme to appoint a Designated Service Provider and to charge a co-payment where the member voluntarily goes elsewhere. Regulation 8(3) treats the use as involuntary, so no co-payment applies, where the Designated Service Provider was unavailable or delayed, in an emergency, or where no Designated Service Provider is within reasonable proximity of the home or workplace of the member. Before you sign, check that the network hospitals are actually near you.
Why do Prescribed Minimum Benefits still apply on a hospital plan?
Prescribed Minimum Benefits are not optional. Every registered scheme, on every benefit option including hospital plans, must fund them. Regulation 8(1) requires a benefit option to pay in full, without co-payment or the use of deductibles, the diagnosis, treatment and care costs of the prescribed minimum benefit conditions.
PMBs cover any emergency medical condition, a set of 271 conditions defined in the Diagnosis Treatment Pairs, and 26 chronic conditions on the Chronic Disease List. The Council for Medical Schemes PMB resource page lists these in full. This safety net is a large part of why even a low-priced hospital plan carries genuine value.
Which waiting periods and penalties can a scheme apply?
Section 29A of the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 allows a scheme to impose a general waiting period of up to 3 months and a condition-specific waiting period of up to 12 months. The condition-specific period relates to a condition for which medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment was recommended or received in the 12 months ending on the date of application. Where an applicant was not a beneficiary of a medical scheme for at least 90 days immediately before applying, even PMB cover may be withheld during the waiting period.
Late joiner penalties, under Regulation 13, apply from age 35 where creditable coverage cannot be demonstrated. The penalty bands run from 0.05 times the contribution for 1 to 4 uncovered years, through 0.25 times for 5 to 14 years and 0.5 times for 15 to 24 years, up to 0.75 times for 25 or more years. The band is calculated as A equals B minus (35 plus C), where B is the age at application and C is the years of creditable coverage demonstrated. The penalty applies only to the portion of the contribution relating to the member or an adult dependant. Joining younger, and staying covered, is materially less expensive over a lifetime.
What is the medical scheme fees tax credit worth in 2026/2027?
For the year of assessment running 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027, the medical scheme fees tax credit is R376 a month, R752 a month for the taxpayer and one dependant, and R254 a month for each additional dependant. On a R1,368 contribution, that credit meaningfully reduces the real monthly cost. The amounts for the year starting 1 March 2027 are set in the national Budget, which had not been tabled at the time of writing.
The critical point I explain to members constantly: the credit belongs to the taxpayer who paid the contributions, not automatically to the main member. Where a taxpayer is not a member of any scheme and pays for two dependants who are, the combined credit is R728 a month, not R752. The scheme tax certificate is issued in the name of the member, so where the payer differs, SARS may ask for an affidavit on audit, and the same contributions may not be claimed by two taxpayers. The SARS medical credits page sets out the rules, and you can work out your own figure with our medical aid tax credit calculator.
Where does Gap Cover fit next to a low-cost hospital plan?
Gap Cover is short-term insurance, not a medical scheme, and it exists because in-hospital specialists may charge more than a scheme pays. On budget hospital plans, that shortfall risk is exactly where members get hurt financially.
The overall annual limit per insured person is set by regulation and adjusted by inflation. It has been R226,881.03 since 1 April 2026, up from R219,845.96, according to National Treasury (1 September 2026); the 2027 Gap Cover documents of Stratum and Discovery quote the same limit. Our Gap Cover increases 2027 comparison sets out the 2027 premiums by provider, and the complete guide to Gap Cover in South Africa covers the product class in depth.
If you are weighing these options against each other, or against richer cover, a Curemed Advisor can compare across schemes for you. We have been doing this since 1992, and matching budget to cover is the core of the work. Reach out to the Curemed team when you are ready to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a hospital plan under R1,500 on the open market in 2027?
Not a true hospital-only one on the tables Curemed has checked. KeyCare Core moves to R1,623 in its lowest band and ProSelect Savvy (R1,150) is restricted to graduate professionals. On the open market, flexiFEDSavvy (R1,252), BonCore (R1,368) and KeyHealth Core (R1,460) stay under R1,500, and each of them adds GP benefits to network hospital cover.
Who qualifies to join Profmed for ProSelect Savvy?
Profmed is a restricted scheme open to graduate professionals only, so the general public cannot join. If you do not hold a qualifying professional qualification, the R1,078 rate for 2026 and the R1,150 rate for 2027 are simply not available to you.
I am moving from another scheme. Do my waiting periods start again?
Possibly, but with an important protection. Where you transfer with a break in cover of less than 90 days, your PMB cover continues even if the new scheme imposes waiting periods under section 29A. Where the break is 90 days or longer, PMB cover may be withheld during the waiting period. Time your transfer carefully and never cancel the old membership before the new one is confirmed.
Is a hospital plan enough for a person managing a chronic condition?
It depends on the condition. Every option must fund the 26 chronic conditions on the Chronic Disease List as PMBs, and KeyCare Core adds chronic medicine cover explicitly. What a hospital-only plan will not fund is routine GP visits, acute medicine and pathology outside those rules, so a member with heavy day-to-day needs should weigh an option with out-of-hospital benefits instead.
A parent pays the contributions for an adult child. Who claims the tax credit?
The parent who actually paid claims the credit, provided the adult child is a dependant of the parent for tax purposes. This holds even though the child is the principal member and the tax certificate is issued in the name of the child. Keep proof of payment, because SARS may request an affidavit on audit, and the child may not claim the same contributions as well.
Can Gap Cover be added to a hospital plan, and what does it pay for?
Yes. Gap Cover is a separate short-term insurance policy that sits alongside medical scheme membership, and you cannot hold it without belonging to a scheme. It pays the shortfall when in-hospital specialists charge above the scheme rate, up to the regulated annual limit per insured person. It does not replace a medical aid and it does not fund day-to-day expenses such as GP visits.
Sources
This article relies on the official 2026 and 2027 contribution documents published by Profmed (Schedule of Benefits 2026 and 2027), Discovery Health Medical Scheme (2027 contribution table, RCK_120786DH_29/09/2026_V11, and the 2026 contribution table), Fedhealth (Summary of Benefit Changes flexiFEDSavvy 2027), Bonitas (2027 contribution comparison) and KeyHealth (Core Option 2027); Council for Medical Schemes Circular 20 of 2026; the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 and the Regulations made under it, in particular section 29A, Regulation 8 and Regulation 13; the Council for Medical Schemes PMB resource page and the SARS medical credits page, both linked above; and the 2027 Gap Cover documents of Stratum and Discovery for the annual limit.
Martin Janse van Rensburg
Sales Manager and Financial Advisor | Curemed Health and Wealth Consultants
More about Martin
