Affordable Medical Aid Plans Under R1000: A Guide by Curemed
Curemed is committed to offering affordable healthcare solutions for both you and your loved ones. As an independent financial advisory firm, specialising in medical aid, we’re committed to providing unbiased assistance. Our experienced Advisors work alongside the top medical aids in South Africa, ensuring you receive customised quotes tailored to your unique needs. Curemed’s Medical Aid Advisors offer comparative quotes and detailed breakdowns of medical aid plans, enabling you to make informed decisions based on your specific healthcare needs.
Operating independently means we’re not limited to just one medical aid provider, we collaborate with a wide variety. Allowing us to guide you throughout your healthcare journey remaining loyal to our customers rather than any single medical organisation. For a full list of the medical aids we work with, please refer to: Top 8 Medical Aids in South Africa.
This article is a comparative list of the best medical aids under R1000, ensuring your health is covered whilst sticking to a budget. After all, peace of mind can be affordable. Medical aid plans under R1000 include the Ingwe Network Hospital by Momentum Health, MedElect Student by Medihelp and FlexiFed Savvy by Fedhealth. The fourth option, KeyCare Core from Discovery Health, is slightly over R1000 but is still considered a cost effective solution.
List of Medical Aids in South Africa under R1000
| Medical Aid Plan | Monthly Premium (Starting From) |
| Ingwe Network Hospital by Momentum Health | R541 (monthly contribution dependant on your income and family size) |
| MedElect Student by Medihelp | R894 (monthly contribution dependant on student income) |
| FlexiFed Savvy by Fedhealth | R965 (age limit) |
| KeyCare Core by Discovery Health | R1,286 (monthly contribution dependant on your income and family size) |
The need for affordable Medical Aid Plans
South Africa comprises people from various standards of living which is why affordable medical aids exist. Medical Aid providers such as: Momentum Health, Medihelp,Fedhealth and Discovery Health,offer cost-effective solutions to cater to those facing financial constraints, students or first time salary earners.
As it currently stands, South Africans are unable to rely on the public healthcare system. Private healthcare, without medical aid, is very costly due to exorbitant out of pocket payments. In an attempt to bridge the gap, affordable medical aid is a viable solution ensuring your primary healthcare needs are taken care of. When selecting a medical aid plan, it’s crucial to consider monthly premiums along with added benefits and overall health coverage.
Find the right medical aid today!
Ingwe Network Hospital by Momentum Health
Momentum Health created this medical aid to provide essential health cover for first time employees and students. The Ingwe Network Hospital medical aid, offers specific in-hospital coverage to network providers. The monthly fees of the Ingwe Options are income-based and offer flexibility to choose between all private hospitals, network or public hospitals.
Decisions on the above hospital choices have a direct impact on your monthly contribution as well as your income and family size. For the purpose of this comparison, we discuss the Ingwe Network Hospital option. Utilising network providers is essential to qualify for the in-hospital coverage offered by this medical aid.
Pros & Cons of the Ingwe Network Hospital from Momentum Health
Pros:
- Income-based premiums make it affordable for a variety of income brackets
- In-hospital coverage at network facilities
- 26 chronic conditions under Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) according to Momentum’s Chronic Disease List (CDL)
What are PMBs
- Additional day to day benefits (savings) can be added through the optional HealthSaver product. This impacts your monthly premium
- Health platform benefits
- Extensive list of network providers
- In-hospital cover according to 100% of the scheme tariff, learn more about Medical Scheme Rates (MSRs) and how they work
- Basic dentistry
Cons:
- Predetermined day to day cover
- Co-payments applicable for out of network providers
- No specialised dentistry
MedElect Student by Medihelp
The MedElect Student medical aid from Medihelp, is for individuals enrolled in tertiary studies. This accessible medical aid focuses on offering essential healthcare benefits with 100% coverage for network hospitals. Click here to understand how scheme tariffs work.
Individuals need to use network hospitals and specialists to receive coverage from the MedElect Student plan. With this medical aid, Medihelp caters to students looking for affordable private health care.
Pros & Cons of the MedElect Student by Medihelp
Pros:
- Affordable Premiums: Targeted to students seeking cost-effective coverage
- Network Coverage: Access to a network of hospitals and medical facilities/practitioners as outlined in the plan
- Specified list of daily benefits
- Select preventative benefits
- Chronic illness management for 26 conditions (according to Hedihelp’s Chronic Disease List (CDL)
- Set number of virtual consultations
- Pro-rata savings available
- Basic dentistry with added benefits
Cons:
- Fundamental in-hospital coverage in comparison to comprehensive medical aid plans
- Potential co-payments for medical services not included in this plan
- 35% co-payment for services received by non-network providers
- Only available to students registered with an accredited tertiary education institution
- No specialised dentistry
FlexiFed Savvy by Fedhealth
FlexiFed Savvy is an affordable hospital plan specifically designed for individuals under the age of 35. The plan offers the flexibility to decide on how your day-to-day benefits are structured, which then impacts your monthly contribution. Fedhealth offers this affordable medical aid to provide necessary access to private healthcare.
Pros & Cons of FlexiFed Savvy by Fedhealth
Pros:
- In-hospital network cover at 100% of scheme tariff. Click here to understand how scheme tariffs work.
- Unlimited virtual GP consultations beneficial for those with busy schedules or limited access to healthcare facilities
- Set number of day-to-day benefits
- Screening and preventative benefit
- Chronic illness management for 27 conditions (according to Fedhealth’s Chronic Disease List (CDL)
Cons:
- Out of network healthcare providers may result in additional co-payments
- Only available to those under the age of 35
- Basic dentistry subject to MediVault if included
- Specialised dentistry subject to PMB level of care
KeyCare Core by Discovery Health
The KeyCare Core plan is for individuals and families with a monthly income below R10 000. This plan offers in-hospital network coverage at an affordable rate. Out-of-hospital benefits are minimal as in-hospital care is the main objective. Similarly to the above plans, coverage is offered at 100% of the scheme tariff. Click here to understand how scheme tariffs work. Curemed Advisors provide the list of network providers for KeyCare Core medical aid.
Pros & Cons of KeyCare Core by Discovery Health
Pros:
- Access to private, in-hospital coverage
- Comprehensive list of network providers
- Screening and preventative benefit
- Chronic medication (subject to schemes list of chronic medications)
- 27 Chronic conditions as per PMBs
Cons:
- KeyCare Core only available to those earning under R10 000 per month
- Co-payments for out of network providers and medical treatments
- No basic and specialised dentistry
- Monthly premium is slightly over R1000
Summary of affordable medical aids
Seeking the right medical aid suited to both your needs and budget is a daunting and overwhelming task. At Curemed, we’re committed to guiding you throughout your healthcare journey by streamlining the process. Listing affordable medical aids such as; FlexiFed Savvy, Momentum Ingwe, Discovery KeyCare Core, and MedElect Student, is just one of the ways we assist with comparative and tailored medical aid quotes.
Our experienced team of independent advisors, highlights the importance of looking at both the price of a medical aid as well as your medical needs. Budget-friendly solutions are available to those interested in entry-level access to private healthcare. Certain options include various day-to-day benefits which are beneficial. Using cost-effective medical aids provides peace of mind for your healthcare needs. Whilst comprehensive coverage caters to individuals seeking extensive healthcare benefits.
We’re #alwaysthereforyou to help determine between the two! Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you in finding the perfect medical aid plan. This blog post is designed to provide an overview of affordable medical aid options, helping you make an informed choice. For personalised advice and further information, reach out to Curemed.
Disclaimer: Terms and Conditions apply. This blogpost and the information contained within it is intended for information and consumption purposes only and does not by any means supersede the Rules of the Scheme. In the event of any discrepancy between this mailer and the Rules of the Scheme, the Rules of the Scheme will prevail. Curemed is a licensed financial service provider with the FSCA, FSP 44098.
