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, the cheapest option a medical scheme itself sells as a hospital plan is Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy at R1,252 a month for a main member, and it includes some GP cover. The cheapest hospital-only plan on the open market is Discovery KeyCare Core at R1,623, but only for income up to R10,650 a month. Without an income condition, hospital cover starts at R1,700 on the new Discovery Active Core plan, which carries an upfront payment of R8,050 for planned admissions that are not Prescribed Minimum Benefits.
Hospital plan is a loose label. Some schemes use it for options that also pay GP visits, and some options that pay only for hospital are never called hospital plans. So the table below shows, for each of the ten schemes Curemed tracks, the lowest-cost option that the scheme presents as hospital cover, what it pays outside hospital, and the condition attached to the price. Every figure comes from the 2027 documents of the scheme.
In short
- Lowest 2027 hospital plan price: Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy, R1,252 a month for a main member, with GP consultations included.
- Lowest hospital-only price on the open market: Discovery KeyCare Core, R1,623, for income up to R10,650 a month.
- Lowest price with no income band: Discovery Active Core, R1,700, a new plan for 2027 with an R8,050 upfront payment for planned non-PMB admissions.
- Profmed ProSelect Savvy costs R1,150, but Profmed is restricted to graduate professionals.
- All 2027 rates apply from 1 January 2027 and are subject to approval by the Council for Medical Schemes. Prescribed Minimum Benefits apply on every option by law.
What is the cheapest hospital plan in South Africa in 2027?
It depends on what you count. If you take the label the scheme uses, Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy is the cheapest at R1,252 a month for a main member. Fedhealth lists it in its 2027 hospital plan contribution table, and it includes unlimited virtual GP consultations and three in-person GP consultations paid from risk.
If you want hospital cover with no day-to-day benefits, Discovery KeyCare Core is the cheapest on the open market at R1,623, in its lowest income band. Discovery has also launched Active Core for 2027 at R1,700 for a main member and R500 per child, with no income band, but with an R8,050 upfront payment for elective admissions that are not Prescribed Minimum Benefits. Our hospital plans under R1,500 guide covers the budget end in more detail.
How do the ten schemes compare for 2027?
| Scheme and option | 2027 main member | Outside hospital | Condition on the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profmed ProSelect Savvy | R1,150 | Hospital-only | Restricted scheme for graduate professionals; income R0 to R40,000; Savvy hospital network | Profmed Schedule of Benefits 2027 |
| Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy | R1,252 | Unlimited virtual GP consultations and three in-person GP consultations | Network hospitals | Fedhealth Combined Contributions 2027 |
| Bonitas BonCore | R1,368 per person | Bonitas describes it as a digitally enabled hospital plan with day-to-day funding for GP consultations | Flat rate for every member; BonCore networks and formularies | Bonitas BonCore 2027 |
| Discovery KeyCare Core | R1,623 | Hospital-only, plus chronic medicine cover | Income R0 to R10,650; R2,025 and R3,099 in the higher bands; KeyCare Hospital Network | Discovery contribution table 2027 |
| Discovery Active Core (new for 2027) | R1,700 | Discovery lists the Core series as hospital plans for members who self-fund day-to-day expenses; Personal Health Fund rewards | Active Hospital Network; R8,050 upfront payment for elective non-PMB admissions; plan subject to approval | Discovery Core plan guide 2027 |
| Momentum Evolve | R2,176 | Four virtual doctor consultations; other day-to-day cover only through HealthSaver | Evolve Network of private hospitals | Momentum medical aid plans |
| Bestmed Beat1 Network | R2,439 | Hospital-only, with preventive care | Bestmed hospital network | Bestmed 2027 Comparative Guide |
| Bonitas BonEssential Select | R2,526 | Hospital-only | Specific private hospitals; a 30% co-payment applies outside the network | Bonitas BonEssential 2027 |
| Medihelp MedVital Elect | R2,568 | Medihelp describes MedVital as a hospital plan paired with day-to-day benefits | Network option of MedVital | Medihelp Vital plans 2027 |
| KeyHealth Essence | R2,616 | Hospital-focused; you pay most GP visits and other day-to-day costs yourself, apart from PMBs | KeyHealth designated service provider hospitals | KeyHealth 2027 contribution schedule |
| Medshield MediCore | R4,701 | No day-to-day benefit; Medshield states that day-to-day expenses are self-funded | Compact Hospital Network; a 30% upfront co-payment applies at a non-network hospital | Medshield MediCore 2027 Benefit Guide |
| CompCare | No hospital plan listed | The 2027 individual options all carry day-to-day benefits; the entry option, DigiCare at R1,099, is designed for people under 30 | Not applicable | CompCare 2027 Option Comparison Table |
At two schemes the cheapest entry option also pays GP visits, so the table shows the hospital-focused option as well. At Bonitas, BonCore (R1,368) includes GP cover, so BonEssential Select (R2,526) is listed as the hospital-only option. At KeyHealth, the new Core option (R1,460) includes unlimited DigiDoc virtual consultations and three in-person GP consultations, so Essence (R2,616) is listed as the hospital-focused option.
What does a hospital plan cover, and what does it leave out?
A hospital plan pays for treatment while you are admitted: the hospital stay, theatre, medicine in hospital and the doctors who treat you there, subject to pre-authorisation and the network rules of the option. It does not usually pay for GP visits, acute medicine, dentistry or optometry, which you then fund yourself. Our guide to medical aid versus a hospital plan sets out the difference in more detail.
By law, every option must still pay for Prescribed Minimum Benefits: emergency care, a defined list of diagnoses and the conditions on the Chronic Disease List. So a hospital plan does cover chronic medicine for those listed conditions, usually through a designated pharmacy and a medicine list. The Council for Medical Schemes publishes the full list.
What should you check before choosing one?
- The network. Almost every plan in the table is priced on a hospital network. Check that a network hospital is near your home and work, because using another hospital for a planned admission can cost you a co-payment, such as the 30% at Bonitas BonEssential Select and Medshield MediCore.
- Upfront payments. Some plans charge a fixed amount before a planned admission. On Discovery Active Core it is R8,050 for every elective admission that is not a Prescribed Minimum Benefit.
- The income band. KeyCare Core and ProSelect Savvy are priced on income. If your income rises above the band, the contribution rises with it.
- Who you are covering. Child rates differ a lot. Active Core charges R500 per child, while BonCore charges the same R1,368 for every member, adult or child.
- Specialist shortfalls. Specialists can charge more than the scheme pays in hospital. Gap Cover is a separate insurance policy that pays that shortfall.
- The cut-off for changing. If you are already a member and want to move to one of these options for 2027, your scheme has a closing date. Our 2027 increase tracker lists the date for each scheme.
A hospital plan suits someone who is healthy and can pay for routine care, and who mainly wants protection against a large hospital bill. If you see a GP often or manage a condition that is not on the Chronic Disease List, compare the extra contribution for day-to-day cover against what you spend in a year. A Curemed Advisor can run that comparison for you. Contact the Curemed team to talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest hospital plan in South Africa in 2027?
By the label schemes use, Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy at R1,252 a month for a main member, which includes GP consultations. For hospital-only cover on the open market, Discovery KeyCare Core at R1,623, for income up to R10,650 a month. With no income condition, Discovery Active Core at R1,700, with an R8,050 upfront payment for planned non-PMB admissions.
Is a hospital plan a medical aid?
Yes. A hospital plan is an option on a registered medical scheme, regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes, and it must pay for Prescribed Minimum Benefits. It is not the same as hospital cash insurance, which pays a fixed amount per day and does not have to cover Prescribed Minimum Benefits.
Does a hospital plan cover chronic medication?
It covers medicine for the conditions on the Chronic Disease List, because those are Prescribed Minimum Benefits. You usually need to register the condition with the scheme and use its medicine list and designated pharmacy. Some options, such as KeyCare Core, add further chronic medicine cover.
Do I need Gap Cover with a hospital plan?
It is worth considering. Gap Cover pays the difference when a specialist in hospital charges more than the scheme pays, up to the annual limit of the policy. It does not replace a medical scheme and does not pay for day-to-day costs such as GP visits.
Sources
- Discovery Health Medical Scheme, Plan Comparison Guide 2027, Core Plan Guide 2027, KeyCare Plan Guide 2027 and contribution table 2027.
- Fedhealth, Combined Contributions 2027, flexiFED hospital plan contributions table.
- Bonitas, BonCore 2027 and BonEssential and BonEssential Select 2027 brochures; Bonitas 2027 launch highlights.
- Bestmed, 2027 Comparative Guide, as analysed in our Bestmed 2027 increase analysis.
- Medihelp, Vital plans page, 2027 content.
- KeyHealth, 2027 contribution schedule and Core Option 2027 brochure.
- Medshield, MediCore 2027 Benefit Guide and 2027 contribution table.
- Momentum Medical Scheme, 2027 marketing brochure, as analysed in our Momentum 2027 increase analysis, and the Momentum medical aid plans page.
- Profmed, Schedule of Benefits 2027.
- CompCare, 2027 Option Comparison Table.
Last reviewed: 3 November 2026. General information, not advice. A personalised recommendation follows a written needs analysis under the FAIS Act.
