Bonitas Medical Fund
Open scheme · Established 1982 · 731,576 beneficiaries · Administered by Momentum Health Solutions (from 1 June 2026)
Bonitas 2027 contributions: what changed, option by option →
Overview
Bonitas Medical Fund is a registered non-profit open medical scheme, governed by the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 and regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes. It is South Africa's second-largest open medical scheme by beneficiaries.
On 1 June 2026, Bonitas's administration and managed care services moved from Medscheme (its administrator for 44 years) to Momentum Health Solutions and Private Health Administrators (PHA). The transition is the subject of an active CMS section 44 investigation into the procurement process and an ongoing high-court dispute between Bonitas and Medscheme. Members have reported processing delays and authorisation backlogs since the switch.
Sources: Bonitas Integrated Report 2024; Daily Maverick coverage of the Medscheme/Bonitas litigation (Feb 2026); Business Day, "Bonitas blames Medscheme for medical scheme backlog" (5 Jun 2026).
Membership Profile
Bonitas reported 731,576 beneficiaries at 31 December 2024, with approximately 62,000 new principal members joining during the year — one of the strongest open-scheme growth figures in the industry.
Membership requirements
Bonitas is open to any South African resident; no employer, industry or professional restrictions apply. Standard waiting periods under the Medical Schemes Act apply (general three months and condition-specific twelve months where applicable). Late-joiner penalties may apply to applicants over 35 without prior continuous scheme membership.
Sources: Bonitas 2024 Integrated Report; Medical Schemes Act, section 29A.
Financial Health
Bonitas closed 2024 with a statutory solvency ratio of 38.5%, well above the regulated 25% minimum and substantially higher than the open-scheme peer average. The Scheme has publicly indicated an intention to return up to R700 million in reserves to members in the form of contribution moderation and benefit enhancements.
Contribution increases by plan (2026)
BonCap +11.3%; BonEssential, BonStandard, BonComplete +9.5%; BonEssential Select, BonStart, BonStart Plus, BonSave +7.0%. Average increase across all options 8.8%.
Sources: Bonitas 2024 Integrated Report; Bonitas 2026 Product Launch announcement; Moonstone, "Bonitas plans to 'return' up to R700m in reserves to members".
Plans & Options
Bonitas offers 14 benefit options for 2026, including two new plans: BonCore (a flat-rate entry plan) and BonPrime (a savings plan with a 16% medical savings account, replacing Primary Select).
| Plan | Category | Day-to-day model | From (single member, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BonCore | New flat-rate plan | Limited insured day-to-day | R1,275 pm (same for all members & dependants) |
| BonCap | Income-banded entry plan | Network GP & basic dentistry | Income-banded |
| BonStart / BonStart Plus | Hospital + limited day-to-day | Insured network | From ~R1,800 pm |
| BonPrime (new) | Savings (16% MSA) | MSA + network | Replaces Primary Select |
| BonEssential / Select | Hospital + chronic | Hospital plan | Mid-tier |
| BonSave | Savings | MSA | Mid-tier |
| Standard / Standard Select | Traditional hospital | Hospital plan | R3,561 pm (Hospital Standard) |
| BonComplete | Comprehensive | MSA + insured | Mid-upper |
| BonClassic | Comprehensive | MSA + ATB | Upper |
| BonComprehensive | Top-tier comprehensive | MSA + unlimited ATB | Up to ~R12,509 pm |
Sources: Bonitas 2026 Plan Brochures; Moneyweb, "Bonitas unveils 2026 product range"; Aon EB Alert — Bonitas 2026.
Key Benefits & Differentiators
Preventative-care emphasis. Bonitas funds an expanded preventative-care basket across all options for 2026, including an annual flu vaccine, age-based screenings (mammogram, prostate, colonoscopy), and a wellness day benefit on most plans.
Maternity programme — covered from entry plans. Bonitas's Babyline and Maternity Programme are available across the plan range from BonStart upwards, providing antenatal classes, a midwife helpline, and post-birth wellness checks for both mother and baby.
Managed Care Programmes for chronic conditions. Bonitas covers the 27 PMB Chronic Disease List conditions on every plan; mid-tier and above add an additional list (the "Bonitas Disease List") of approximately 36 further conditions.
Mental health and oncology
All plans cover PMB-level mental health benefits; mid-tier and above include outpatient psychology consultations within day-to-day limits. The oncology programme follows ICON protocols with defined Rand thresholds before transitioning to PMB cover; ex-gratia applications are considered for cases falling outside protocol.
Sources: Bonitas 2026 Product Information Brochure; Bonitas Managed Care Programme overview.
Wellness & Loyalty
Bonitas operates its own wellness programme, BoniWell, included as part of membership at no additional cost. BoniWell focuses on preventative care, with member rewards for completing the annual health assessment, age-appropriate screenings, and the Babyline programme. Bonitas does not operate a points-based gym/retail rewards ecosystem comparable to Discovery Vitality or Momentum Multiply.
Source: Bonitas BoniWell programme overview.
Claims & Service
Claims can be submitted via the Bonitas Member App, the online portal, email, or in person at walk-in branches. From 1 June 2026, claims processing and pre-authorisations moved to Momentum Health Solutions and PHA. Members have reported elongated turnaround times and authorisation backlogs in the weeks following the transition.
Service details
Dispute resolution follows the CMS process: scheme dispute committee → CMS adjudication. The Council for Medical Schemes initiated a section 44 investigation into Bonitas in late 2025/early 2026 focused on procurement decisions; the CMS has stated that this does not, in its view, justify halting implementation of the new administrator contracts.
Sources: Moonstone, "Bonitas members caught in service disruption after administration switch"; Daily Maverick, "Numbers behind the Medscheme/Bonitas bombshell litigation".
How the Scheme Is Set Up
Bonitas's plan range is built around middle-income families and households seeking traditional hospital + savings cover. The Scheme has historically grown share among first-time medical scheme members through its income-banded BonCap and the new flat-rate BonCore plan. Strong solvency and explicit reserve-return intentions make Bonitas attractive to value-seeking members who weigh financial buffer alongside benefit design.
Bonitas is designed around: middle-income families on a savings or hospital + chronic plan; pregnant members and new parents (Babyline + Maternity Programme covered from low-cost plans); and members with limited day-to-day needs who can use a flat-rate or income-banded plan. Members who place a premium on consistent service-level performance may wish to monitor the post-transition operational stabilisation before joining.
Source: Bonitas 2024 Integrated Report; Bonitas 2026 product launch materials.
Each plan in detail
One page per plan: contributions and what it covers, in Bonitas’s own words, with the source for every line.
Programmes you have to ask for
12 of these 26 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 Bonitas Medical Fund’s own documents. Each page quotes the wording and names the source. Compare programmes across every scheme →