Medical aid prices in 2021: Discovery vs Bonitas vs Momentum and others

 ·24 May 2021

Following a six month freeze on contributions for 2021, South Africa’s largest medical aid scheme, Discovery Health, has announced price changes which will come into effect from July.

Discovery’s plans will increase at a rate of 5.9% across the board. Taking into account the 0% hike for the first six months of the year, this translates to an effective increase of 3% for the year.

The medical scheme is the biggest in South Africa, with 1.34 million members recorded in 2020, and 2.8 million beneficiaries.

This is four times bigger than any other open medical scheme, with Bonitas following at a distant second place with just under 340,000 members and 720,000 beneficiaries.

5 Biggest Open Medical Schemes (2020)

Scheme Type Members Beneficiaries
Discovery Health Open 1 342 758 2 795 107
Bonitas Open 336 651 718 919
Momentum Health Open 156 841 298 829
Medihelp Open 94 084 205 438
Bestmed Medical Scheme Open 94 527 197 956

Discovery

Discovery will implement a 5.9% increase across all plans, effective 1 July 2021. This is how the prices will change:

Executive

Plan Jan – Jun 2020 Jul – Dec 2021 % change
Executive Plan R7 257 R7 688 5.9%

Comprehensive

Plan Jan – Jun 2020 Jul – Dec 2021 % change
Classic Comprehensive R5 954 R6 309 5.9%
Classic Delta Comprehensive R5 362 R5 681 5.9%
Essential Comprehensive R5 003 R5 301 5.9%
Essential Delta Comprehensive R4 507 R4 775 5.9%
Classic Smart Comprehensive R4 327 R4 585 5.9%

Priority

Plan Jan – Jun 2020 Jul – Dec 2021 % change
Classic Priority R3 814 R4 041 5.9%
Essential Priority R3 278 R3 472 5.9%

Saver

Plan Jan – Jun 2020 Jul – Dec 2021 % change
Classic Saver R3 290 R3 485 5.9%
Classic Delta Saver R2 628 R2 784 5.9%
Essential Saver R2 615 R2 770 5.9%
Essential Delta Saver R2 085 R2 209 5.9%
Coastal Saver R2 608 R2 763 5.9%

Smart

Plan Jan – Jun 2020 Jul – Dec 2021 % change
Classic Smart R1 954 R2 070 5.9%
Essential Smart R1 400 R1 483 5.9%

Core

Plan Jan – Jun 2020 Jul – Dec 2021 % change
Classic Core R2 449 R2 594 5.9%
Classic Delta Core R1 960 R2 076 5.9%
Essential Core R2 104 R2 229 5.9%
Essential Delta Core R1 681 R1 781 5.9%
Coastal Core R1 946 R2 062 5.9%

KeyCare

Plan Jan – Jun 2020 Jul – Dec 2021 % change
KeyCare Plus 0 – 8 550 R1 207 R1 279 5.9%
KeyCare Plus 8 551 – 13 800 R1 659 R1 758 5.9%
KeyCare Plus 13 801+ R2 450 R2 595 5.9%
KeyCare Core 0 – 8 550 R949 R1 005 5.9%
KeyCare Core 8 551 – 13 800 R1 183 R1 253 5.9%
KeyCare Core 13 801+ R1 809 R1 916 5.9%
KeyCare Start 0 – 9 150 R914 R968 5.9%
KeyCare Start 9 151 – 13 800 R1 538 R1 629 5.9%
KeyCare Start 13 801+ R2 394 R2 536 5.9%

Bonitas

South Africa’s second-largest open medical aid scheme, Bonitas, announced a weighted increase of 4.6% across all its plans for 2021 – ranging between 0% and 7%. The only plan to see a fee freeze is the BonFit Select plan, while the more comprehensive plans see the largest increases.

The group has also introduced two new plans for 2021.  The plans: BonStart and BonStart Plus, are designed for economically active singles or couples, living in the larger metros.

Plan 2020 2021 % change
BonComprehensive R7 207 R7 715 7.0%
BonClassic R5 003 R5 330 6.5%
BonComplete R4 009 R4 291 7.0%
BonSave R2 723 R2 847 4.6%
BonFit Select R2 152 R2 152
Standard R3 888 R4 044 4.0%
Standard Select R3 368 R3 589 6.6%
Primary R2 429 R2 537 4.4%
Primary Select R2 065 R2 180 5.6%
Hospital Standard R2 284 R2 434 6.6%
BonEssential R1 877 R1 962 4.5%
BonEssential Select R1 602 R1 675 4.6%
BonCap 0-8520 R1 159 R1 212 4.6%
BonCap 8521-13840 R1 372 R1 434 4.5%
BonCap 13841-18900 R2 210 R2 311 4.6%
BonCap 18901+ R2 714 R2 837 4.5%
NEW BonStart R1 452
NEW BonStart Plus R1 731

Momentum

Momentum Medical Scheme is the third-largest open medical aid scheme in South Africa and announced a weighted average annual contribution increase of 3.9% for 2021.

The figures below are the starting prices, with more variety offered in each plan grouping.

Plan 2020 2021 % change
Evolve R1 294 R1 345 3.9%
Custom R1 642 R1 706 3.9%
Incentive R2 141 R2 224 3.9%
Extender R5 033 R5 231 3.9%
Summit R10 187 R10 642 4.5%
Ingwe R432 R455 5.3%

MediHelp

MediHelp’s increases for the year range between 5.8% and 6.4%. The group offers networked (N) and non-networked (NN) on its Prime schemes, which offer reduce rates for using scheme-networked healthcare providers. Prices for 2021 are as follows:

Plan 2020 2021 % change
Prime 1 N R1 626 R1 722 5.9%
Prime 1 NN R2 082 R2 202 5.8%
Prime 2 N R2 160 R2 286 5.8%
Prime 2 NN R2 772 R2 934 5.8%
Prime 3 N R2 964 R3 138 5.9%
Prime 3 NN R3 618 R3 828 5.8%
Unify R2 598 R2 748 5.8%
Elite Comprehensive R5 304 R5 610 5.8%
Plus Comprehensive R9 180 R9 714 5.8%
Necesse 0-600 (students) R598 R636 6.4%
Necesse 601-11000 R2 208 R2 334 5.7%
Necesse 11001+ R2 574 R2 724 5.8%

BestMed

BestMed’s increases for the year range between 3.9% and 4.2% for some of the higher-tier packages. The group offers networked (N) and non-networked (NN) on its Beat schemes, which offer reduce rates for using scheme-networked healthcare providers. Prices for 2021 are as follows:

Beat

Plan 2020 2021 % change
Beat 1 N R1 454 R1 511 3.9%
Beat 1 NN R1 617 R1 680 3.9%
Beat 2N R1 778 R1 847 3.9%
Beat 2 NN R1 976 R2 053 3.9%
Beat 3 N R2 697 R2 805 4.0%
Beat 3 NN R2 997 R3 117 4.0%
Beat 4 R4 685 R4 872 4.0%

Pace

Plan 2020 2021 % change
Pace 1 R3 930 R4 083 3.9%
Pace 2 R5 566 R5 800 4.2%
Pace 3 R6 390 R6 658 4.2%
Pace 4 R7 983 R8 318 4.2%

Pulse

Plan 2020 2021 % change
Pulse 1 R0-R5500 R1 626 R1 694 4.2%
Pulse 1 R5501-R8500 R1 953 R2 035 4.2%
Pulse 1 R8501+ R2 344 R2 442 4.2%
Pulse 2 R5 770 R6 012 4.2%

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