Hospital plans in South Africa, 2026

    A hospital plan covers you in hospital and leaves day-to-day spending to you. Below are the 45 hospital options we hold for 2026 across 6 schemes — main-member and dependant contributions, which hospitals you may use, and what each admission can cost you — all taken from the published scheme brochures.

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    R804–R6 620
    published main-member contribution per month, 2026
    45
    hospital options across six schemes
    13
    options that allow any private hospital
    45
    options publishing unlimited in-hospital cover

    What a hospital plan does and does not pay for

    A hospital plan is an option offered by a medical scheme registered under the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998. It funds authorised in-hospital treatment and the Prescribed Minimum Benefits, including the conditions on the Chronic Disease List, but it carries little or no day-to-day benefit. GP consultations, dentistry, optometry, radiology outside hospital and over-the-counter medicine are normally paid from your own pocket.

    Two design choices drive the price. The first is the hospital network: 13 of the 45 options in our data set let you use any private hospital, while 32 restrict you to a defined list and price accordingly. The second is the co-payment — 4 options publish a fixed amount you pay per admission, and several apply a separate co-payment on MRI and CT scans.

    A hospital plan is not the same thing as health insurance, and it is not the same thing as gap cover. Gap cover is a short-term insurance product that pays the shortfall between what a specialist charges in hospital and what your scheme pays — it cannot replace a medical scheme option.

    Hospital plans by scheme

    Main-member price ranges for 2026, per scheme. Follow a scheme through for its full hospital range, networks and co-payments.

    Bonitas hospital plans

    6 options

    R1 275–R3 561 a month for a main member on the 2026 published contributions.

    Bonitas hospital plan prices

    Discovery Health hospital plans

    13 options

    R1 350–R3 980 a month for a main member on the 2026 published contributions.

    Discovery Health hospital plan prices

    Fedhealth hospital plans

    13 options

    R1 155–R6 620 a month for a main member on the 2026 published contributions.

    Fedhealth hospital plan prices

    Medihelp hospital plans

    5 options

    R804–R3 360 a month for a main member on the 2026 published contributions.

    Medihelp hospital plan prices

    Medshield hospital plans

    5 options

    R1 821–R4 938 a month for a main member on the 2026 published contributions.

    Medshield hospital plan prices

    Momentum hospital plans

    3 options

    R2 029–R4 546 a month for a main member on the 2026 published contributions.

    Momentum hospital plan prices

    What the 2026 hospital plan pricing shows

    Computed from published brochure contributions. Factual price comparisons only — not rankings, and not a recommendation of any option.

    Lowest priced with any private hospital
    Lowest priced network hospital options

    Network options limit which hospitals you may use. Check the hospital list before choosing on price.

    Every 2026 hospital plan price, cheapest first

    45 options, sorted by main-member contribution. “Not stated” means the 2026 brochure does not publish that figure — we do not estimate it.

    Scheme: planMain / monthAdultChildHospitalsCo-pay / admissionIn-hospital limitSource
    Medihelp: MedMove! StudentR804Not statedNot statedMedihelp National Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFEDSavvy HospitalR1 155R1 155R849Fedhealth GRID Network (120 hospitals)None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Bonitas: BonCoreR1 275R1 275R1 275Restrictive networkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Active SmartR1 350R1 350R1 350Private hospitals in the Dynamic Smart hospital network as referred by Ask Discovery.None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Bonitas: BonStartR1 603R1 603R1 603Restrictive networkNone statedUnlimited at the applicable hospital network Brochure
    Fedhealth: myFEDR1 719R1 719R779myFED Network HospitalsNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Essential Dynamic SmartR1 797R1 797R1 797Private hospitals in the Dynamic Smart hospital network as referred by Ask Discovery.None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medshield: MediCurveR1 821R1 821R483Medshield Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Momentum: Evolve OptionR2 029R2 029R2 029Comprehensive networkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Bonitas: BonStart PlusR2 040R1 940R899Restrictive networkNone statedUnlimited at the applicable hospital network Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 1Elect HospitalR2 051R1 602R747Any private hospitalR15 950Unlimited Brochure
    Medshield: MediPhilaR2 145R2 145R558Medshield Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Essential SmartR2 161R2 161R2 161Private hospitals in the Smart hospital network.None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Bonitas: BonEssential SelectR2 345R1 718R774Restrictive networkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medihelp: MedVital ElectR2 412R1 752R1 014Medihelp National Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Essential Delta CoreR2 507R1 887R1 006Private hospital in the Delta NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 1 HospitalR2 630R2 061R963Any private hospitalNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Bonitas: BonEssentialR2 747R2 030R888Restrictive networkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: KeyCare CoreR2 845R2 845R645KeyCare NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medshield: MediValue CompactR2 907R2 541R816Medshield Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Classic Delta CoreR2 923R2 305R1 169Private hospital in the Delta NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Coastal CoreR3 011R2 259R1 196Any approved hospital in the four coastal provincesNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Classic SmartR3 018R2 381R1 205Private hospitals in the Smart hospital network.None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medihelp: MedVitalR3 096R2 376R1 062Any private hospitalNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 2Elect HospitalR3 104R2 775R922Any private hospitalR15 950Unlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Essential CoreR3 138R2 354R1 260Any private hospital approved by the SchemeNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medihelp: MedAdd ElectR3 186R2 496R1 110Medihelp National Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medihelp: MedReachR3 360R2 634R1 110Medihelp National Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: KeyCare Start RegionalR3 430R3 430R961KeyCare Start Regional NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Bonitas: Hospital StandardR3 561R2 999R1 353Restrictive networkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: Classic CoreR3 652R2 882R1 461Any private hospital approved by the SchemeNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 3Elect HospitalR3 705R3 398R1 314Any private hospitalR15 950Unlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 2GRID HospitalR3 719R3 315R1 098Fedhealth GRID Network (120 hospitals)None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Momentum: Custom OptionR3 749R2 958R1 322Any private hospitalNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: KeyCare StartR3 765R3 765R1 024KeyCare Start NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Discovery Health: KeyCare PlusR3 980R3 980R1 064KeyCare NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 2 HospitalR4 147R3 690R1 224Any private hospitalNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medshield: MediCoreR4 278R3 618R987Any private hospitalNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 3GRID HospitalR4 436R4 068R1 573Fedhealth GRID Network (120 hospitals)None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Momentum: Ingwe OptionR4 546R4 546R1 318Connect / Ingwe Network / Any hospital (member's choice)None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Medshield: MediPlus CompactR4 938R3 522R1 113Medshield Hospital NetworkNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 3 HospitalR4 946R4 531R1 753Any private hospitalNone statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 4Elect HospitalR4 958R4 620R1 521Any private hospitalR15 950Unlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 4GRID HospitalR5 931R5 424R1 787Fedhealth GRID Network (120 hospitals)None statedUnlimited Brochure
    Fedhealth: flexiFED 4 HospitalR6 620R6 042R1 991Any private hospitalNone statedUnlimited Brochure

    How this list is put together

    An option appears here when its 2026 brochure classes it as a hospital plan, or when it is a network or capitated option that publishes no overall day-to-day limit. That is a filter over brochure fields, not our opinion of the option. Waiting periods, late-joiner penalties, prosthesis sub-limits and specialist reimbursement rates are not structured in our current data set, so they are not compared here — read them in each scheme's benefit schedule.

    Hospital plans: common questions

    What is a hospital plan in South Africa?

    A hospital plan is a medical scheme option that funds in-hospital treatment and the Prescribed Minimum Benefits required by the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998, with little or no day-to-day benefit for GP visits, dentistry, optometry or over-the-counter medicine. It is still a registered medical scheme option, not health insurance.

    How much does a hospital plan cost per month?

    It depends on the option and on how many people you cover, because schemes bill per beneficiary. Across the 2026 options in our data set the published main-member contribution on hospital cover runs from the lowest to the highest figure shown in the table on this page, and each dependant adds its own rate on top.

    What is the difference between a hospital plan and a network hospital plan?

    A full hospital plan lets you use any private hospital. A network option restricts you to a defined hospital list, which is why it is usually cheaper; if you use a hospital outside that list you can be liable for a large portion of the account. Each option's network type and name is shown in the table.

    Do hospital plans cover chronic medication?

    Every registered option must cover the chronic conditions on the Chronic Disease List as part of the Prescribed Minimum Benefits. Some options fund more conditions than the legislated minimum. The number of chronic conditions each option publishes for 2026 is shown per option on its plan page.

    Will I have a co-payment when I go to hospital?

    Some options apply a fixed co-payment per admission, and many apply a separate co-payment on MRI and CT scans. Where the 2026 brochure publishes those amounts they are shown on this page; where it does not, we show “Not stated” rather than estimating a figure.

    Is this page advice on which hospital plan to buy?

    No. It is a factual comparison of published 2026 contributions, networks and co-payments. It is not financial advice and not a recommendation. Confirm current rates and rules with the scheme, or speak to an accredited adviser, before joining or switching.

    Next steps

    Use the plan calculatorCheck hospital networksAll 2026 plans

    All contributions, networks and co-payments on this page are taken from official 2026 scheme brochures and linked to their source document. This is general information, not financial advice, and not a recommendation of any scheme or option. Rates and rules change — always confirm current figures directly with the scheme before joining or switching.