Bestmed Medical Scheme
Open scheme · 4th-largest open scheme · Largest self-administered scheme in South Africa
Bestmed 2027 contributions: what changed, option by option →
Overview
Bestmed Medical Scheme is a registered non-profit open medical scheme regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes under the Medical Schemes Act. It is South Africa's fourth-largest open medical scheme and — uniquely among the larger open schemes — is self-administered, meaning its day-to-day administration and managed care functions are run internally rather than outsourced to a third-party administrator.
Source: Bestmed 2024 Annual Financial Statements; Healthcare Outlook, "Bestmed Medical Scheme: A Culture of Care".
Membership Profile
Bestmed recorded net membership growth of 4.4% in 2024 — its sixth consecutive year of growth, distinguishing it from the broader open-scheme market which contracted by 1.31% over the same period.
Membership requirements
Open to any South African resident; no employer, industry or professional restrictions. Standard Medical Schemes Act waiting periods (general three months, condition-specific twelve months) and late-joiner penalty rules apply.
Sources: Bestmed Highlights of the Financial Statements 2024; CMS Industry Report 2024.
Financial Health
Bestmed closed 2024 with a statutory solvency ratio of 33.23%, well above the 25% statutory minimum but down from 36.89% at year-end 2023 — reflecting the impact of strong membership growth (which dilutes the reserve ratio against larger gross contributions). Insurance revenue grew to R7.2 billion (2023: R6.5 billion) and total assets reached R5.4 billion.
Reliance on investment income
Bestmed achieved a return on investments of 11.2% in 2024 (2023: 8.7%), with a claims ratio below 100% indicating the Scheme generated a positive insurance service result from operations before investment income — a stronger underwriting position than several larger peers that ran insurance service deficits in 2024.
Sources: Bestmed Annual Financial Statements 2024; Bestmed Highlights of Financial Statements 2024.
Plans & Options
Bestmed offers 14 plan options for 2026, organised across three product families: Beat (hospital + savings), Pace (traditional comprehensive with scheme-paid day-to-day limits, no MSA), and Rhythm (income-banded affordable).
| Plan family | Options | Day-to-day model | Designed around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beat | Beat 1 (hospital), Beat 1 Network, Beat 2, 3, 4 | MSA + Above Threshold Benefit (Beat 2–4) | Members preferring savings-based day-to-day |
| Pace | Pace 1, 2, 3, 4 | Scheme-paid limits (no MSA) | High-utilisation households preferring predictable scheme-paid benefits |
| Rhythm | Rhythm 1, Rhythm 2 | Network primary care | Income-banded affordability |
Sources: Bestmed 2026 Comparative Guide; Aon EB Alert — Bestmed 2026.
Key Benefits & Differentiators
No-MSA comprehensive plans (Pace family). Pace 1–4 use scheme-paid limits per discipline rather than a member medical savings account, which means day-to-day benefits don't deplete from a personal pool and aren't subject to "running out" mid-year. This design is uncommon among larger open schemes (most use MSA + above-threshold structures).
Tempo wellness programme — included. Tempo is a paid-for-as-part-of-membership wellness benefit on all plans, providing preventive screenings, lifestyle programmes, and digital health tools without an additional opt-in subscription.
Self-administered scale. Decisions on benefit design, formulary, and member service are made in-house rather than delegated to a third-party administrator. The Scheme reports this as a basis for its consistently lower contribution increases versus the open-scheme average.
Chronic, oncology and mental health
All plans cover the 27 PMB Chronic Disease List conditions; Pace and higher Beat tiers add a defined additional list. Oncology cover is managed through ICON protocols with defined Rand thresholds. Mental health benefits cover PMB minimums on all plans; Pace plans add outpatient psychology consultations within scheme-paid limits.
Source: Bestmed 2026 Comparative Guide; Bestmed Tempo wellness programme overview.
Wellness & Loyalty
Bestmed operates Tempo, an integrated wellness programme included in membership at no additional cost. Tempo provides preventive screenings, a digital health tool, lifestyle programmes, and an annual health assessment. Bestmed does not offer a points-based gym/retail rewards ecosystem comparable to Discovery Vitality or Momentum Multiply.
Source: Bestmed Tempo overview.
Claims & Service
Claims can be submitted via the Bestmed member app, the online portal, email, or in person at the Pretoria head office. Because the Scheme is self-administered, claims and pre-authorisation are processed in-house.
Service details
Dispute resolution follows the CMS process: internal dispute committee → CMS adjudication.
How the Scheme Is Set Up
Bestmed's plan range and self-administered model are designed around: members who prefer scheme-paid day-to-day cover over personal medical savings (Pace plans); price-sensitive members entering at the lower end (Rhythm 1 at R1,736 is among the lowest contributions in the open-scheme market); and members who value contribution stability — the 2026 6.8% increase was the lowest of the major open schemes. Six consecutive years of net membership growth is unusual in the contracting open-scheme market and reflects sustained appeal among new and switching members.
Source: Bestmed 2024 Annual Financial Statements; Bestmed 2026 Comparative Guide.
Each plan in detail
One page per plan: contributions and what it covers, in Bestmed’s own words, with the source for every line.
Programmes you have to ask for
7 of these 10 programmes do not start on their own. You have to register, apply or get authorisation before the benefit applies — and until you do, you are paying for cover you are not receiving.
Read from Bestmed Medical Scheme’s own documents. Each page quotes the wording and names the source. Compare programmes across every scheme →