Last reviewed: October 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.
Twelve open medical scheme options cost less than R1,500 a month for the principal member in 2027, across ten schemes. The cheapest are R466 on the Makoti Primary Option, R699 on Momentum Ingwe and R700 on a new Sizwe Hosmed Essential Copper income band, each in its lowest income band. Two Discovery KeyCare plans move above the line for 2027, and KeyHealth adds a new Core option at R1,460.
Until 31 December 2026 the 2026 rates still apply, and the table below shows both years side by side. Every option on this page is a registered medical scheme regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes, not a health insurance policy. All of them are network or designated service provider plans, and that network design is what keeps the contribution low.
For context, the Council for Medical Schemes Industry Report 2024 records insurance revenue of R2,262.90 per average beneficiary per month across the industry, so anything under R1,500 sits well below the norm. This guide lists every verified option, what each one includes, and the rules that protect you when you join.
In short
- 2027: twelve open scheme options cost less than R1,500 a month for the principal member, across ten schemes. In 2026 it was twelve options across eight schemes.
- The lowest 2027 contributions are R466 on Makoti Primary (State hospital access only), R699 on Momentum Ingwe and R700 on Sizwe Hosmed Essential Copper, in their lowest income bands.
- Discovery KeyCare Start (R1,564) and KeyCare Core (R1,623) move above R1,500 in 2027. KeyHealth Core (R1,460, new) and the Sizwe Hosmed entry band join the list.
- Every registered scheme must pay Prescribed Minimum Benefits in full when you use its designated service providers.
- All of these plans use networks, so voluntary treatment outside the network attracts a co-payment.
- The medical scheme fees tax credit of R376 a month goes to whoever pays the contributions, which is not always the member.
Which medical aid plans cost under R1,500 a month in 2027?
The table shows every verified open scheme option under R1,500 for the principal member in 2027, with the 2026 figure beside it. The 2027 figures apply from 1 January 2027 and come from the 2027 contribution documents each scheme has published. Schemes publish them subject to registration or approval by the Council for Medical Schemes. The 2026 Discovery figures are those in force from 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2026, because January to March 2026 used the 2025 rates.
| Scheme and option | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 income band or eligibility | Plan type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makoti Primary | R438 | R466 | Income R0 to R8,374 (2026: R0 to R7,900). Top band R1,285 | Primary care and day-to-day, State hospitals only |
| Momentum Ingwe | R645 | R699 | Income R0 to R1,600. Connect Network R1,158 to R1,344 for income up to R9,800 | Network hospital plan plus network primary care |
| Sizwe Hosmed Essential Copper (new entry band) | Not offered at this price | R700 | Income R0 to R1,650, R700 per beneficiary. Above that, R3,934 | Entry option of Sizwe Hosmed; check benefits in the 2027 brochure |
| Thebemed Universal EDO | R680 | R730 | Income R0 to R500 (next band R1,805) | Private hospital cover plus primary care |
| Medihelp MedMove! Student | R804 | R864 | Students only, income R0 to R900 | Network hospital plan plus network primary care |
| Thebemed Universal | R820 | R880 | Income R0 to R500 (next band R2,195) | Non-EDO version of the Universal option |
| CompCare DigiCare | R995 | From R1,099 | Marketed for 2027 to students and younger adults | Hospital plan plus day-to-day benefits |
| Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy | R1,155 | R1,252 | Flat rate; aimed at under-35s. Savings version R1,714 | Network hospital plan with limited day-to-day from Risk |
| Bonitas BonCore | R1,275 | R1,368 | Flat rate for every beneficiary, no income test | Capitation network hospital plan with limited primary care |
| Discovery KeyCare Start Regional | R1,278 | R1,392 | Income R0 to R11,400 (2026: R0 to R10,950) | Regional network hospital plan plus primary care |
| Discovery Active Smart | R1,350 | R1,450 | Flat rate, no income band | Network hospital plan plus defined day-to-day cover |
| KeyHealth Core (new for 2027) | Not offered | R1,460 | Flat rate for every beneficiary, no income band | Network hospital cover plus virtual and limited in-person GP care |
| Discovery KeyCare Start | R1,436 | R1,564, above R1,500 | Income R0 to R11,400 | Network hospital plan plus primary care |
| Discovery KeyCare Core | R1,490 | R1,623, above R1,500 | Income R0 to R10,650 | Network hospital-only plan, no day-to-day cover |
What changes for budget plans in 2027?
Most options on the list rise by between 6.5% and 9% for 2027. Makoti Primary goes from R438 to R466 and widens its lowest income band to R8,374. Momentum Ingwe goes from R645 to R699 in the lowest band, but its second Ingwe Network band, which was R1,425 in 2026, becomes R1,537 and leaves the list; the Connect Network version stays under R1,500 for incomes up to R9,800. CompCare DigiCare rises from R995 to R1,099, which is 10.5%.
Discovery raises every KeyCare band by about 8.9%, which takes KeyCare Start to R1,564 and KeyCare Core to R1,623, both above R1,500 for the first time. Discovery has also announced Active Core at R1,700 for 2027, subject to approval by the Council for Medical Schemes, so it sits above this list. Two options join. KeyHealth launches Core at a flat R1,460 per person, with unlimited private hospital cover at its designated network hospitals, a R15,300 co-payment at a non-network hospital, unlimited DigiDoc virtual consultations and three in-person GP consultations. Sizwe Hosmed introduces an entry income band on Essential Copper at R700 per beneficiary for incomes of R0 to R1,650.
For the full scheme by scheme picture, including the option change cut-off dates, see our medical aid increase 2027 tracker.
What do you get for less than R1,000 a month?
Benefit amounts in this section and the next are taken from the 2026 scheme documents; schemes adjust some rand limits for 2027, so confirm them in the 2027 brochure for your option.
Makoti Primary is the lowest entry point at R466 in the bottom income band for 2027. It covers primary care and day-to-day benefits with a nominated accredited GP, but services are accessed in State hospitals only and specialist cover is Prescribed Minimum Benefits in State hospitals. In 2026 it included private maternity confinement up to R30,870, but it has no private hospital cover, so it is not comparable to a hospital plan.
Momentum Ingwe is an entry-level network hospital plan with no overall annual hospital limit, paid at 100% of the Momentum Medical Scheme Rate, plus network primary care, cover for the 26 conditions on the Chronic Disease List and three virtual GP consultations a year. Thebemed Universal EDO gives private hospital cover through a Life, Mediclinic and Netcare network plus comprehensive primary care at R730 in 2027, with the non-EDO Universal option at R880, though both prices apply only to income up to R500 a month. Medihelp MedMove! Student at R864 serves students earning up to R900 a month. The Sizwe Hosmed entry band at R700 applies only to incomes up to R1,650 a month.
One further name comes up in this range: Bankmed, where the Essential Plan started at R893 and the Basic Plan at R1,497 in 2026. Bankmed is a restricted scheme open only to the banking industry, so most readers cannot join it. For 2027 Bankmed has published proposed increases of 5.5% on Essential and 8.5% on Basic, subject to approval, but not yet the rand contribution table. For a deeper dive on the lowest bands, see the complete list of medical aids under R1,000.
What do the options between R1,000 and R1,500 include?
CompCare DigiCare (from R1,099 in 2027) offered unlimited hospitalisation at Netcare and Mediclinic in 2026, with a Care Maximiser benefit and a Preventative and Wellness benefit. Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy (R1,252) is a network hospital plan with limited day-to-day cover paid from Risk, unlimited virtual GP consultations plus three face to face consultations per beneficiary, and optional back-up savings. Fedhealth describes it as aimed at under-35s; its documents set no maximum joining age. Bonitas BonCore (R1,368) is a capitation network hospital plan with a Benefit Booster after a wellness screening, then limited GP services and Prescribed Minimum Benefit cover, with networks and formularies applying across GP, specialist, hospital, pathology and pharmacy.
Discovery fields two options under the line in 2027. KeyCare Start Regional (R1,392) combines regional network hospital cover with primary care for income up to R11,400. Active Smart (R1,450) adds defined day-to-day cover through the Smart GP network and a Personal Health Fund, though cancer cover is limited to Prescribed Minimum Benefits and dialysis is at a State facility. Neither has a medical savings account, and income verification applies to the KeyCare bands. KeyHealth Core (R1,460) is new and has no claims history yet; it covers many procedures at Prescribed Minimum Benefit level only, so read the brochure closely.
What sits just above the R1,500 line in 2027?
If your budget can stretch slightly, the 2027 options just above the line are Momentum Ingwe Network in its second income band (R1,537), Discovery KeyCare Start (R1,564), KeyCare Core (R1,623), Discovery Active Core (R1,700, subject to approval by the Council for Medical Schemes), Bonitas BonStart (R1,720), Genesis MED-100 (R1,750 for all adults), Medihelp MedMove! (R1,848), Fedhealth myFED (R1,857), Bestmed Rhythm1 (R1,866), Bonitas BonCap (R1,929), Medshield MediCurve (R1,929), Discovery Essential Dynamic Smart (R1,939) and Fedhealth sureFEDEssential (R1,940). Suremed Health has published no 2027 contributions: it has proposed an amalgamation with Momentum Medical Scheme from 1 January 2027, subject to regulatory approval, so Suremed Shuttle (R1,505 in 2026) is not listed for 2027.
Among the restricted schemes, Profmed ProSelect Savvy costs R1,150 in 2027 for household income up to R40,000, but Profmed is open only to graduate professionals. Our guide on how much medical aid costs in South Africa covers the full pricing picture, and the medical aid under R2,000 guide covers the next bracket.
What trade-offs come with a contribution at this level?
Every plan on this list keeps its price down through networks, formularies and designated service providers, and the penalty for stepping outside them voluntarily is real. On the 2026 rules, Momentum Ingwe and Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy applied a 30% co-payment on the hospital account outside the chosen network, Thebemed Universal EDO charged R1,000, and CompCare DigiCare applied 35% with a minimum of R8,220. BonCore carried a R5,500 co-payment per admission and up to R14,680 off network, with non-network GPs and specialists paid at 70% of the Bonitas Rate. Discovery Active Smart required R15,300 upfront outside the Dynamic Smart Hospital Network and R7,750 upfront for elective admissions, while KeyCare Start Regional paid nothing if a planned admission happened at a non-network facility. KeyHealth Core applies a R15,300 co-payment at a non-network hospital in 2027.
Smaller running costs matter too. In 2026 Medihelp MedMove! Student carried a R135 co-payment per network GP visit and a R1,805 hospital co-payment (excluding Prescribed Minimum Benefit admissions), with acute medicine, radiology and pathology limited to R1,785 per family. None of this makes these plans poor value, but it does mean the plan rules decide where you may go. Our guide on how to choose a medical aid in South Africa works through matching those rules to your life.
What must every registered scheme cover by law?
Regulation 8(1) of the Medical Schemes Act regulations requires every benefit option, including every plan above, to pay in full, without co-payment or deductibles, the diagnosis, treatment and care costs of the Prescribed Minimum Benefits. These cover 271 Diagnosis and Treatment Pairs and 26 chronic conditions on the Chronic Disease List, and they may not be paid from a medical savings account.
Schemes may require you to use a designated service provider for these benefits and may impose a co-payment for voluntary use of another provider. No co-payment may apply for involuntary use, for example in an emergency, where the service is unavailable or unreasonably delayed, or where no designated service provider is within reasonable proximity, and a co-payment may never be 100% of the cost. No pre-authorisation may be required before an emergency intervention.
One maternity nuance is worth getting right. Prescribed Minimum Benefit code 52N covers pregnancy, antenatal and obstetric care necessitating hospitalisation, including delivery. Routine out of hospital antenatal visits are not guaranteed as a Prescribed Minimum Benefit, so where a plan covers a set number of antenatal visits, that is a scheme maternity benefit, not a legal entitlement.
What waiting periods can apply when you first join?
Under section 29A of the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998, an applicant who has had no medical scheme cover for 90 days or more can face a general waiting period of up to 3 months plus a condition-specific waiting period of up to 12 months. For this group there is no Prescribed Minimum Benefit exception, so even those benefits may be excluded during the waiting period.
A condition-specific waiting period may only target conditions for which you received or were advised to receive treatment in the 12 months before applying. No waiting period may be applied to a child dependant born during membership. It also helps to know that an open scheme cannot reject your application: section 29(1)(n) prohibits setting contributions on anything other than income and number of dependants, expressly excluding age, sex, and past or present state of health. That open enrolment duty binds open schemes only, so restricted schemes such as Bankmed, GEMS, Profmed and LA Health may lawfully limit who is eligible to join.
How does the tax credit reduce the real monthly cost?
For the 2027 tax year, running 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027, the SARS medical scheme fees tax credit is R376 a month for the taxpayer who paid the medical scheme contributions, R752 a month for that taxpayer plus one dependant, and R254 a month for each additional dependant. The amounts from 1 March 2027 are set in the national Budget, which had not been tabled at the time of writing.
At the bottom of the market this changes the maths meaningfully. Where the contribution is R466 on Makoti Primary or R699 on Momentum Ingwe, a credit of R376 a month covers a large share of the amount paid. You can work out your own figure with the medical aid tax credit calculator.
Who claims the credit when somebody else pays the contributions?
This is the part most often misread, and it matters during filing season. The credit follows the taxpayer who paid the contributions, not automatically the person named as the member. SARS sets the amount for the taxpayer who paid the medical scheme contributions, or for a dependant who is a member or a dependant of a member of a scheme where the taxpayer is not a member of a scheme.
Take a common household example. A young adult is the principal member on a student or entry level option, but a parent pays the monthly contribution. The parent is the one who claims the credit, provided the young adult is a dependant of the parent for tax purposes. The member does not claim a credit for money paid by somebody else, and the same contributions may not be claimed by two taxpayers. Where the taxpayer is not a member of any scheme and pays for two dependants who are, the combined credit is R728 a month rather than R752.
One practical consequence is worth planning for. The medical scheme tax certificate is issued in the name of the member, which may not be the name of the person who paid. Where that happens and SARS selects the return for audit, SARS asks for an affidavit confirming who actually paid the contributions, so keep proof of payment. If you are unsure who should claim in your household, speak to your Advisor or your tax practitioner before filing.
Where does Gap Cover fit at this price point?
Gap Cover pays the shortfall between what a specialist charges and what a scheme reimburses, and on network plans that shortfall risk is structural. Sirago Underwriting Managers analysed 2,330 large loss Gap Cover claims from 2020 to 2025 and reported that there is no regulatory ceiling on what a healthcare specialist may charge in South Africa, with many charging 200% to 500% above scheme reimbursement rates and some outliers at 800% (reported by FAnews, 6 July 2026). James White of Turnberry told BusinessTech (26 April 2026) that specialists sometimes charge over 500% of the scheme rate, that the tariff shortfall accounts for around 80% of claims, and that co-payments can reach over R30,000.
Set that against the co-payment figures listed earlier and the case is clear from the plan rules themselves. Gap Cover is regulated under the Demarcation Regulations with an overall annual limit per insured person, adjusted by inflation each 1 April: R226,881.03 from 1 April 2026, up from R219,845.96, according to National Treasury (1 September 2026). Gap Cover waiting periods are limited to 3 months general and 12 months condition-specific, with recognition of waiting periods already completed on a materially similar prior policy. Our Gap Cover increases 2027 comparison sets out the 2027 premiums, and the complete Gap Cover guide for South Africa explains the product in full.
How can a Curemed Advisor help you decide?
Comparing twelve options across ten schemes, each with its own networks, income bands and co-payment rules, is a lot to ask of anyone. Curemed is an independent, FSCA-licensed brokerage (FSP 44098) established in 1992, serving all nine provinces, and because we are not tied to any single scheme our Advisors can compare across the market.
A Curemed Advisor will compare these options against your income, your family and your nearest network hospitals. Broker commission on medical scheme membership is paid by the scheme and capped by Regulation 28 of the Medical Schemes Act at 3% of contributions plus VAT, or R125.86 plus VAT a month in 2026, whichever is lower. If a plan under R1,500 is on your mind for 2027, a short conversation before your scheme cut-off date is a sensible first step.
Frequently asked questions
Which medical aid plans cost under R1,500 in 2027?
Twelve open scheme options, in their lowest income band where banded: Makoti Primary (R466), Momentum Ingwe (R699), Sizwe Hosmed Essential Copper entry band (R700), Thebemed Universal EDO (R730), Medihelp MedMove! Student (R864), Thebemed Universal (R880), CompCare DigiCare (from R1,099), Fedhealth flexiFEDSavvy (R1,252), Bonitas BonCore (R1,368), Discovery KeyCare Start Regional (R1,392), Discovery Active Smart (R1,450) and KeyHealth Core (R1,460). The figures apply from 1 January 2027, subject to registration by the Council for Medical Schemes.
Can I move to one of these plans from another scheme without restarting waiting periods?
Often, yes. If you had continuous cover for more than 24 months ending less than 90 days before applying, the new scheme may impose only a general waiting period of up to 3 months, with Prescribed Minimum Benefits protected. With up to 24 months of prior cover, only a condition-specific waiting period of up to 12 months may apply. A change of option within the same scheme carries no new waiting period, nor does a transfer forced by a change of employment, and a new scheme may only impose the unexpired part of a waiting period carried over from your former scheme.
How does treatment actually work on a designated service provider plan?
Your network GP is the front door: on plans such as Makoti and Thebemed Universal EDO you nominate a specific GP, and on KeyHealth Core specialists need a referral from your nominated GP. Planned hospital admissions happen at the network hospitals named in the plan rules. In an emergency the law is on your side, because no pre-authorisation may be required before an emergency intervention and no co-payment may be charged for involuntary use of a non-network provider.
Who suits a plan under R1,500, and who should budget more?
These plans fit people who qualify for the income bands, students, younger members starting out, and anyone who would otherwise have no private cover at all. They fit less well if you want free choice of hospital, extensive specialist care beyond the Prescribed Minimum Benefits, or generous out of hospital benefits, since those features sit in higher priced options. The honest test is whether you can live comfortably inside the network rules.
Is a health insurance policy under R500 a month the same thing?
No. Day-to-day and hospital indemnity health insurance policies are not medical aid and are not registered medical schemes, and each policy must state that it is not a medical scheme and is not a substitute for medical scheme membership. Health insurance does not have to cover Prescribed Minimum Benefits, and premiums are risk-rated, so an insurer may charge more as you age, while medical scheme contributions are community-rated. The Council for Medical Schemes explains the difference in its guide on medical aid versus medical insurance.
Will I pay more if I join for the first time after age 35?
Possibly, through a late joiner penalty under Regulation 13, calculated from your age at application minus 35 plus your years of creditable coverage. The penalty is capped at 5% of the contribution for 1 to 4 uncovered years, 25% for 5 to 14, 50% for 15 to 24 and 75% for 25 or more, and it applies only to that individual portion of the contribution, not the whole family. Cover as a dependant under age 21 does not count as creditable coverage, the penalty follows you on transfer, and a sworn affidavit is accepted as proof of prior cover.
Sources
2027 contribution documents: Makoti Primary Option Benefit Summary 2027; Momentum Health 2027 contributions; Sizwe Hosmed 2027 Contributions Tables (28 September 2026); Thebemed 2027 Benefits; Medihelp member guide 2027; CompCare 2027 DigiCare guide; Fedhealth Summary of Benefit Changes flexiFEDSavvy 2027 and Traditional Plans Rates and Benefits Guide 2027; Bonitas 2027 contribution comparison; Discovery Health Medical Scheme 2027 contribution table; KeyHealth Core Option 2027; Genesis MED-100 2027; Medshield, Bestmed and Profmed 2027 schedules; Suremed Health and Momentum Medical Scheme amalgamation exposition document (July 2026); Bankmed 2027 benefits and contribution launch (20 October 2026). 2026 figures from the 2026 documents of the same schemes. Council for Medical Schemes Circular 2 of 2026 for the broker fee cap. Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 and its Regulations.
Martin Janse van Rensburg
Sales Manager and Financial Advisor | Curemed Health and Wealth Consultants
More about Martin
