Selfmed Medical Scheme
Open scheme · 45+ years operating · Self-administered · Among the highest solvency ratios in SA
Overview
Selfmed Medical Scheme is a registered non-profit open medical scheme regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes. With over 45 years of operating history and self-administered status, Selfmed positions itself around tight administrative cost control to maximise the benefit reaching members.
Source: Selfmed website; Africa Outlook Magazine company profile.
Membership Profile
Granular membership counts are not publicly disclosed in current Selfmed materials. The Scheme is positioned as a smaller open scheme outside the top-7 by size.
Membership requirements
Open to any South African resident; standard Medical Schemes Act waiting periods apply.
Financial Health
Selfmed reports one of the highest solvency ratios in the South African medical scheme industry. The combination of self-administration and a conservative reserving policy is the Scheme's positioning around financial strength.
Plans & Options
Selfmed offers 5 plan options, ranging from hospital plans to comprehensive cover. Plan names include MEDXXI Option, MED Elite Plan, and SelfNET variants.
Key Benefits & Differentiators
Self-administered cost discipline. Like Bestmed and Medihelp, Selfmed runs its own administration, with the Scheme citing this as the basis for keeping more contribution income flowing to claims rather than administration fees.
All plans cover the 27 PMB Chronic Disease List conditions; mid-tier and above add a defined additional chronic list.
Wellness & Loyalty
Selfmed includes preventive-care benefits on plans. No separate rewards programme.
Claims & Service
Claims can be submitted via the online portal, email, and provider direct-billing. Self-administered means claims processing is in-house.
How the Scheme Is Set Up
Selfmed is designed around: members who prioritise financial strength and tight cost control over scale; members who prefer a smaller scheme outside the top-7; and members with stable healthcare needs who don't require a large branded wellness rewards programme.