5 Best Hospital Plans for Kids
The 5 Best Hospital Plans in South Africa revealed.
We tested them side by side and verified their hospital plans.
This is a complete guide to the best hospital plans in South Africa.
In this in-depth guide you’ll learn:
- What is a Hospital Plans?
- Which health insurers are best for children only?
- How to choose the best affordable hospital plan for your needs?
- How to compare hospital plans against each other?
- Should you get medical aid or a hospital plan for your child?
- How do you choose the best hospital plan for your family?
So if you’re ready to go “all in” with the best hospital plan for kids in South Africa, this guide is for you.
Let’s dive right in…
Best Hospital Plans for Kids (2024)
| 🩺 Medical Aid | ✔️ Offers Plans for Kids? | ⚕️ Plan Offered | 👉 Sign Up |
| 1. Discovery Health | Yes | Discovery KeyCare Plan | 👉 Apply Now |
| 2. Bonitas | Yes | Boncap Student | 👉 Apply Now |
| 3. FedHealth | Yes | flexiFED Savvy | 👉 Apply Now |
| 4. Affinity Health | Yes | Junior Hospital Plan | 👉 Apply Now |
| 5. BestMed | Yes | Network Plans | 👉 Apply Now |
5 Best Hospital Plans for Kids Summary
- Discovery Health Medical Scheme – Overall, Best Hospital Plans for Kids in South Africa
- Bonitas Medical Scheme – Broadest Range of Low-Cost Hospital Plans
- Fedhealth – Best Pay-As-You-Go Private Healthcare
- Affinity Health – Best Customer Service Health Insurer
- BestMed Medical Scheme – Top Extensive Medical Protection in South Africa
Introduction to Hospital Plans for Kids
You love your child very much, so it makes sense that you want to give them the best things in life.
In South Africa, there are many different kinds of medical aid to choose from. People of all ages can get medical care from companies, but you might not know which plan covers the important things your child needs.
Can You Get Medical Aid for Children Only?
People often worry about cost, and they want to know if they can only get medical aid for their child in South Africa. In the last few years, this question has come up more often since many children in South Africa live with only one parent or with other family members.
At the moment, South African medical help will only cover children as dependents. A person must be at least 18 years old to have their own medical aid plan.
If a child is named as a dependent on a health insurance plan and the main member dies, the child can stay on the plan as the only member. Sadly, this rarely makes the monthly fee go down.
Whether you are a single mum looking for medical aid or a family with kids of different ages, it can be hard to choose the best hospital plan. In South Africa, there are a lot of different medical plans, and each one has its own perks and choices.
Read more: 5 Best Medical Aids for Children only
How to Pick the Best Hospital Plan
Before you choose one of the hospital plans in South Africa, think about the perks and monthly payment costs. It is important to know the following:
Only join a health plan with a “critical mass” of enough people. This means it can stand up to a lot of big medical claims, which is true of all the plans we list below.
Secondly, hospital plans that are listed under the Short-Term Insurance Act, which are usually sold by banks, offer much less than the hospital plans given by the Medical Aid Schemes. This is partly because they do not have to meet the basic standards set by the Medical Schemes Act and partly because they pay higher commissions than Medical Aid Schemes.
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What should be included in a medical aid for kids?
Most plans for medical aid cover the same basic things. But when picking a plan for a child, there are some things to watch out for:
- Day-to-Day Benefits – Kids often get colds and stomach bugs, which can be treated with a quick trip to the doctor and some over-the-counter medicine. Make sure that these costs are covered by the plan you choose.
- Hospital Cover – Children like to play rough, and you never know when they might break a bone. Hospital stays are expensive, so choose a health plan with enough benefits for hospital stays. If your kids do not have long-term illnesses or need to see the doctor often, you could also just get a hospital plan.
- Special Benefits – Having a medical aid plan that covers other needs that children may have is a good idea. These include basic dental and eye care, trips to a doctor, and immunisations for children.
You might like Health Insurance for Kids
1. Discovery Health Medical Scheme
Discovery offers seven different options to choose from. The Smart Series is the best cost-effective option for plans that cover the most important medical care for your child.
The Smart Series is divided into the Classic and Essential plans, which offer similar benefits but to different extents. Costs start at about R1 500 per month.
You and your children will get unlimited GP visits and private hospital cover from providers in Discovery’s network. Cover is also given for over-the-counter medicine and sports-related injuries.
Discovery has various Vitality programmes like the Vitality Baby, Vitality Kids, and Vitality Teens programmes you can use to earn points and get rewards.
Other options:
Coastal Core & Classic Core
These are hospital plans with unlimited hospital benefits but cover claims at different rates; Coastal at medical aid rate and Classic at 2X medical aid rate.
Both have the same chronic medication benefit as well as emergency evacuation i.e. ambulance and helicopter, etc.
Keycare Core
The Keycare Core is an inexpensive hospital plan with unlimited hospital cover paid at 100% medical aid rate but only available from a limited list of private hospitals. It has a chronic medication benefit as well as emergency evacuation.
Discovery Keycare Plus
The Keycare Plus is an inexpensive hospital plan with unlimited hospital cover paid at 100% medical aid rate but is only available from a limited list of private hospitals. This is a network option, which means that you get unlimited primary care doctor’s consultations, medicines and basic dentistry is unlimited from a network of practitioners.
2. Bonitas Medical Scheme
Bonitas offers a series of plans at different prices. The Traditional series is good for families with children, since costs start around R2 200 for the Primary Select plan and around R3 600 for the Standard Select plan.
A family get unlimited hospital cover at any network hospital, with out-of-hospital GP and specialist consultations being paid from available benefits. Basic dentistry and optometry are covered up to fixed amounts.
Child immunisations are covered. The Standard plan covers one GP and paediatric consultation more than the Primary plan. Each family member can receive one flu vaccination per year.
The Bonitas Primary option has an overall limit of R 600 000 with the option of any private hospital in SA. The day-to-day benefits are generous and independent cover will pay additional amounts charged by surgeons and anaesthetists above the NHRPL rate up to a maximum of 3 X NHRPL rate.
READ more about Dis-Chem Gap Cover
3. Fedhealth
Fedhealth has three option plans that are designed for families with children. Prices range from R1 900 to R2 800 per month.
The FlexiFED 2 plan is aimed at those who want to start a family, while the FlexiFED 3 plan is for families with young children.
These plans offer the same benefits with the only difference being that FlexiFED 3 has more money in the MediVault, which gives members access to emergency funds for unexpected medical bills.
These plans cover unlimited GP visits and hospital treatment costs for a family at Fedhealth’s network doctors. Children’s immunisations are covered from birth up to 12 years old. Family members can also get one flu vaccination per year.
There is also cover for chronic medication and emergency evacuation cover by ambulance and helicopter.
Read more about 5 Best Medical Insurance for Kids in South Africa compared and revealed
4. Affinity Health
Affinity Health is one of the few companies in South Africa that specialises in providing medical aid to children solely. You have the ability to cover solely your children under their Affinity Junior option, which gives you the choice between a day-to-day plan, a hospital plan, or a combination plan.
If your primary care physician (GP) recommends it, the Junior Day-to-Day option covers an unlimited number of radiological and pathology tests in addition to an unlimited number of medical visits.
In addition, they will receive an introduction to optometry and dentistry. This option has a monthly cost of around R600 for the first kid, with an extra R300 required for each additional child.
The Junior Hospital plan has a monthly fee of around R900 for the first kid, with an extra R300 required for each subsequent child after that. It grants you access to private hospitals and covers the fees associated with ordinary hospital stays as well as the costs associated with medical treatments.
Affinity Health has the following three options to choose from:
- Affinity Health Hospital Insurance Plan
- Affinity Health Day-to-Day Medical Aid Plan
- Affinity Health Combined Medical Insurance Plan
The Junior Combined day-to-day and hospital plan has a monthly premium of R1, 400 for the first kid and an extra R500 for every child after that.
5. BestMed Medical Scheme
BestMed has a track record of providing young families with access to a network of healthcare specialists, wellness benefits, and cost-effective healthcare coverage options.
All of its alternatives offer significant benefits for preventative healthcare, such as contraception for women, treatment for pneumonia, vaccinations against influenza, and a variety of other options.
With help and backup from this medical aid, South African families have access to more than 4,300 primary care physicians, as well as networks of hospitals and specialists.
BestMed Medical Aid Option Plans include BestMed Hospital Plans, Network Plans, Savings Plans, and Comprehensive Plans.
Hospital Plans are popular with young families, because its coverage treatment at a range of network hospitals for planned and unplanned hospital stays. There is also a choice between the Beat1 Plan and Beat1 Network Plan that gives unlimited cover for unplanned hospital stays in the network’s hospitals.
BestMed Network Plans include a little bit more benefits, which are appreciated by families with young children who can afford slightly higher monthly premiums. Both the Rhythm1 and Rhythm2 Network Plans offer unlimited in-hospital cover with either limited essential day-to-today benefits, or comprehensive savings for consultations with designated healthcare providers. The Rhythm2 Network Plan is dependent on income levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can children get hospital plans from medical aid companies in South Africa?
No, children cannot get hospital plans on their own. At the moment, South African medical aids will only cover children as dependents. A person must be at least 18 years old to have their own medical aid plan. Affinity Health, however, offers an insurance plan for children.
How do I choose a hospital plan for children?
When choosing a hospital plan for children, affordability, network of healthcare providers, coverage, and your children’s unique requirements should all be taken into account.
Which is better for children, a medical aid or hospital plan?
A medical aid has more benefits because it pays for medical costs in and out of hospital while a hospital plan does not cover other costs than those incurred in hospital.
Is it good to have a hospital plan if you have children?
Yes, it is good to have a hospital plan since its benefits include cheaper premiums than full cover options. If you are prepared to use a Designated Service Provider (DSP), you can enjoy comprehensive care.
