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.
Momentum Medical Scheme and Discovery Health Medical Scheme have both published their 2027 benefits and contributions. Discovery contributions rise by a weighted average of 8.2% from 1 January 2027, and Momentum contributions by an annual average of 7.9%. Curemed has set the official 2027 documents side by side to show how the plan ranges line up, what comparable options cost a principal member and where the benefits differ.
In short: Momentum vs Discovery for 2027
- Discovery has 8 series and 26 plans for 2027, including the new Active Core plan. Momentum has six options: Ingwe, Evolve, Custom, Incentive, Extender and Summit.
- Discovery rises by a weighted average of 8.2% (range 7.4% to 8.9%) from 1 January 2027. Momentum rises by an annual average of 7.9%; Curemed calculates 7.24% to 8.51% by option.
- At the upper end of each range, Discovery Executive costs R13 442 a month for a principal member in 2027 and Momentum Summit costs R17 870.
- Executive pays day-to-day claims from a savings account and then an unlimited Above Threshold Benefit. Summit has no savings account and pays day-to-day claims from risk up to R36 100 per beneficiary.
- All 2027 contributions and benefit changes at both schemes are subject to approval by the Council for Medical Schemes.
How do the Momentum and Discovery plan ranges line up in 2027?
The two schemes organise choice in different ways. According to the Discovery 2027 plan comparison guide, Discovery Health Medical Scheme has 8 series (Executive, Comprehensive, Priority, Saver, Smart Saver, Smart, Core and KeyCare) and 26 plans across four categories: extensive day-to-day benefits, limited day-to-day benefits, hospital benefits and network benefits. Within a series, the Classic, Essential, Delta, Coastal and Active versions change the hospital network and the depth of cover, so the choice is made by picking a separate plan.
Momentum Medical Scheme keeps a shorter list of six options and builds the choice inside the option instead. On Custom, Incentive and Extender, a member chooses a hospital provider (Any or Associated) and a chronic provider (Any, Associated or State), so one option name carries six contribution lines. Evolve uses the Evolve Network hospitals, and Summit allows any hospital and any provider. Ingwe at Momentum and KeyCare at Discovery both price by income band, so those two entry ranges should be compared on your own household income.
What will comparable options cost in 2027?
No two options are identical, so the table pairs options that sit in a similar position in each range. Figures include the savings portion where the option has one.
| Position in the range | Momentum option, 2026 to 2027 | Discovery plan, 2026 to 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Upper tier, any hospital, full day-to-day cover | Summit: R16 469 to R17 870 | Executive: R12 338 to R13 442 |
| Savings account plus threshold cover | Extender, Any hospital, Any chronic: R11 472 to R12 448 | Classic Comprehensive: R10 037 to R10 934 |
| Hospital cover plus a savings account | Incentive, Any hospital, Any chronic: R6 030 to R6 543 | Classic Saver: R4 850 to R5 235 |
| Hospital plan without savings | Custom, Any hospital, Any chronic: R4 472 to R4 852 | Classic Core: R3 905 to R4 215 |
| Network hospital plan with limited day-to-day cover | Evolve: R2 029 to R2 176 | Essential Smart: R2 161 to R2 332 |
On these pairings Discovery is cheaper for a principal member at four of the five levels in 2027, and Evolve is R156 a month below Essential Smart. The gap grows to R4 428 a month in the upper tier, where Summit costs that much more than Executive. Read that with care, because the Momentum lines in the table use the Any hospital and Any chronic choices, which cost more than the Associated and State combinations. Choosing Associated or State providers brings the price down sharply: Incentive with Associated hospital and State chronic costs R3 627 in 2027, and Custom with the same choices costs R2 789. Discovery offers similar savings through its network plans, for example Classic Delta Saver at R4 182 and Essential Delta Core at R2 894.
How large are the 2027 increases at each scheme?
Discovery announced on 1 October 2026 that contributions rise by a weighted average of 8.2% from 1 January 2027. The Discovery 2027 FAQ document breaks this down by family: 7.4% on Active Smart, 7.9% on the Saver, Core, Smart Saver and Smart plans, 8.4% on Coastal Saver, and 8.9% on Executive, Comprehensive, Priority, Coastal Core and KeyCare. Discovery had two contribution periods in 2026, with the 2025 rates applying from January to March and the 2026 rates from 1 April, so the 2027 increase is measured against the April 2026 rate. Every plan is set out in our Discovery 2027 increase analysis.
Momentum Health announced an annual average increase of 7.9%, as reported by FAnews on 30 September 2026. Momentum has not published per option figures, and Curemed calculated 7.24% on Evolve to 8.51% on Summit, with the Any chronic combinations at about 8.5%. Our Momentum 2027 increase analysis lists all 20 contribution lines. For the upper tier options the two increases are close: Executive rises by 8.95% and Summit by 8.51% on the principal rate.
What separates Discovery Executive from Momentum Summit in 2027?
Members often ask us to compare these two options, and the difference is in how day-to-day cover is funded rather than in hospital cover. Both offer unlimited hospital cover at any approved private hospital, pay specialists with a payment arrangement in full and pay other specialists up to 300% of the scheme rate.
| Benefit | Discovery Executive | Momentum Summit |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly contribution | R13 442 (adult R13 442, child R2 569) | R17 870 (adult R14 187, child R4 075) |
| Day-to-day funding | Medical Savings Account of R40 320 a year, then the Day-to-day Extender Benefit for network services, then an unlimited Above Threshold Benefit once claims reach the R46 380 Annual Threshold | No savings account. Paid from risk at 100% of the scheme rate up to an overall limit of R36 100 per beneficiary, with sub-limits |
| Chronic cover beyond the CDL | 22 conditions on the Additional Disease List | 36 additional conditions, paid within the R36 100 overall day-to-day limit |
| Emergency cover abroad | Up to US$1 million per person per journey for 90 days; pre-existing conditions excluded | R9 010 000 per beneficiary per 90-day journey through the preferred provider; R2 380 co-payment per emergency out-patient claim |
Because the Executive Annual Threshold is higher than the savings amount, an Executive member can pay some day-to-day claims out of pocket before the Above Threshold Benefit starts. A Summit member avoids that gap but carries a fixed ceiling. Our Executive vs Summit comparison covers the two options in more depth.
Where else do the two schemes differ?
How is day-to-day cover funded lower down the range?
At Discovery, the Saver, Smart Saver, Priority, Comprehensive and Executive series include a Medical Savings Account, and Priority, Comprehensive and Executive add an Above Threshold Benefit (limited on Priority and Comprehensive, unlimited on Executive). At Momentum, Incentive allocates 10% of the contribution to savings, and Extender allocates 25% and adds Extended Cover once claims pass a threshold of R40 000 for a principal member in 2027. Custom and Evolve are mainly hospital cover, with Evolve offering four virtual GP consultations a year in 2027. Momentum members can add day-to-day money through HealthSaver, a separate Momentum product.
How do the chronic benefits compare?
Both schemes cover the Chronic Disease List in full as a Prescribed Minimum Benefit. The Council for Medical Schemes list has 26 conditions, which is the number Momentum uses. The Discovery 2027 plan guides describe a defined list of 27 chronic conditions under the Prescribed Minimum Benefits, so the Discovery wording differs from the CMS count. Above that minimum, Momentum covers 6 extra conditions on Incentive and 36 on Extender, each limited to R14 300 per family in 2027, and 36 on Summit within the overall day-to-day limit. Discovery adds an Additional Disease List on the Comprehensive and Executive plans.
Are Vitality and Multiply part of the medical scheme?
No. Discovery states that Vitality is a separate wellness product sold and administered by Discovery Vitality (Pty) Ltd. Discovery does offer a Personal Health Fund inside the scheme, which members build by completing Personal Health Pathways actions. Momentum states that its complementary products are not medical scheme benefits; members earn HealthReturns by adding the separate Multiply programme. You can belong to either scheme without these products.
Who does each scheme suit?
Discovery tends to suit members who want an unlimited Above Threshold Benefit on the Executive plan, a lower principal contribution on four of the five pairings above, regional network plans such as Coastal and Delta, and a Personal Health Fund that rewards engagement inside the scheme.
Momentum tends to suit members who want to set the price within one option by choosing hospital and chronic providers, who are comfortable using Associated or State providers to save money, or who want Summit freedom of choice for day-to-day care without managing a savings account. The 36 extra chronic conditions on Extender and Summit also matter for some families.
Your hospitals, doctors, chronic medicine and family size decide which line is good value for you. Our Discovery vs Momentum overview sets out the networks in more detail.
What should you check before choosing for 2027?
- Your own contribution line, including adult and child dependants. Momentum charges for a maximum of three children on every option except Ingwe, where all children are charged.
- Co-payments. On Summit, MRI and CT scans carry a R3 650 co-payment per scan in 2027, and Evolve and Custom carry a R2 100 co-payment per hospital authorisation, with some exceptions.
- Waiting periods if you change scheme. Section 29A of the Medical Schemes Act allows waiting periods depending on your previous cover, as our waiting periods guide explains.
- Specialist shortfalls. Up to 300% of the scheme rate can still leave a balance, and our Gap Cover guide explains how a separate policy may help.
If you would like help comparing Momentum and Discovery for 2027, a Curemed Advisor can line up your current option against the alternatives at both schemes and explain the trade offs before you decide. Curemed has advised members since 1992 across all nine provinces, and a conversation carries no obligation. Contact us to start.
Which other questions come up about Momentum and Discovery?
Can I switch from Discovery to Momentum, or the other way, for 2027?
Yes. Open schemes must accept applicants, but the new scheme may impose waiting periods under section 29A of the Medical Schemes Act. With more than 24 months of previous cover and a break of less than 90 days, only a general waiting period of up to three months may apply, and not to Prescribed Minimum Benefits. With less previous cover, condition-specific waiting periods of up to 12 months may apply. An applicant with no cover in the preceding 90 days may also have Prescribed Minimum Benefits excluded during a waiting period. Late joiner penalties can apply from age 35, as set out in our late joiner penalty guide.
Are the 2027 contributions final?
Not formally. The Discovery 2027 contribution table states that all 2027 contributions and the Active Core plan are subject to approval from the Council for Medical Schemes. Momentum states that its 2027 benefit and contribution amendments have been submitted to the Council for Medical Schemes and are subject to approval by the Registrar. Treat the published figures as the intended 2027 position.
What is Discovery Active Core?
Active Core is a new Discovery hospital plan for 2027 at R1 700 for a principal member, R1 550 for an adult dependant and R500 for a child, according to the 2027 contribution table. It is subject to approval by the Council for Medical Schemes. Momentum has not added an option for 2027.
Who claims the medical tax credit on these contributions?
The credit belongs to the taxpayer who paid the contributions, not automatically to the member. For the 2027 year of assessment (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027), SARS sets the credit at R376 a month for the taxpayer, R752 for the taxpayer and one dependant, and R254 for each additional dependant. Our tax credit calculator works it out for your household.
Martin Janse van Rensburg
Sales Manager and Financial Advisor | Curemed Health and Wealth Consultants
More about MartinThis article is general information. The Rules of each scheme prevail, and a personalised recommendation follows a needs analysis. Curemed is an authorised financial services provider, FSP 44098.
