Bonitas remains a recognised name among South African medical aid schemes. With registration under the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), FSP No. 1512, it carries the weight of compliance and credibility.
The Bonitas BonCore medical aid plan is one of 16, starting from R1,275, and includes private hospital access on the BonCore network, maternity care, chronic medicine for 28 listed conditions, oncology, HIV and diabetes programmes, as well as out-of-hospital consultations.
Gap Cover and 24/7 medical emergency assistance are available. According to the Trust Index, Bonitas has a trust rating of 4.2.
| 👤 Main Member | 👥 +1 Adult Dependent | 👶 +1 Child Dependent |
| R1,275 | R1,275 | R1,275 |
| Benefit | BonCore | Discovery Classic Delta Saver | Fedhealth flexiFED 2 |
| Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMB) | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Screening and Prevention | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Medical Savings Account | ❎ No | (MSA 10% of contribution, Main R8,688, Adult R6,864, Child R3,492) | (optional) |
| Maternity Benefits | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Pre- and Postnatal Care | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Chronic Conditions | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Home Care | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Oncology Cover (Maximum ZAR) | PMB only | R250,000, then 80% | R311,900 DSP |
| Extended Cover for Oncology | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes | ❎ No |
| Hospital Cover | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Optometry Benefit | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ❎ No |
| Dentistry Benefit | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Advanced Dentistry | ☑️ Yes | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes |
| Internal Prosthesis | ☑️ Yes | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes |
| External Prosthesis | ☑️ Yes | ❎ No | ❎ No |
| Mental Healthcare Program | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Diabetes Care Program | ❎ No | ❎ No | ❎ No |
| HIV Care Program | ☑️ Yes | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes |
| Cardio Care Program | ❎ No | ❎ No | ❎ No |
| Spinal and Neck Program | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Disease Prevention Program | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
| Cover for Covid-19 & WHO Outbreaks | ❎ No | ❎ No | ❎ No |
| Annual Limit | No overall limit | No overall limit | No overall limit |
| Above Threshold Benefit (ATB) | ❎ No | ❎ No | ☑️ Yes |
| International Cover | R1,200,000, Africa Benefit | ☑️ Yes | ❎ No |
| Main Member Contribution | R1,275 | R3,624 | R3,787 (GRID R3,396, Elect R2,835) |
| Adult Dependent Contribution | R1,275 | R2,863 | R3,370 (GRID R3,027, Elect R2,534) |
| Child Dependent Contribution | R1,275 (max 3) | R1,455 (max 3) | R1,118 (GRID R1,003, Elect R842) |
| Gap Cover | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes | ☑️ Yes |
The BonCore option is for members who want essential hospital cover, some day-to-day support, and access to chronic care without unnecessary extras.
Benefits are defined with transparent limits, co-payments, and designated service providers, for you to know upfront what is included and what requires careful planning.
Each part of the cover, whether hospital stays, routine care, or chronic treatment, works under managed care protocols, ensuring benefits are used efficiently.
👉🏾 Download the Boncore plan for 2026
| 🔎 Benefit | ✅ What you get |
| 🏥 Private hospital care | Unlimited cover at hospitals on the BonCore network. A R5,500 co-payment applies per admission, except for motor vehicle accidents, maternity confinements and PMB emergencies. You avoid a R14,680 co-payment by using a network hospital. |
| 📌 Specialists in hospital | · Network specialists are covered at 100% of the Bonitas Rate. · Non-network specialists are covered at 70% of the Bonitas Rate. · A combined out-of-network GP and specialist limit of R2,500 per family applies. |
| 👨⚕️GP services in hospital | · Network GPs are covered at 100% of the Bonitas Rate. · Non-network GPs are covered at 70% of the Bonitas Rate. |
| 🩸 Blood tests and transfusions | Covered for PMB only. |
| ✅ X-Rays and Ultrasounds | Unlimited cover at 100% of the Bonitas Rate. |
| MRI and CT scans | PMB only, with pre-authorisation required. |
| 👩🏿⚕️Allied health in hospital | PMB only for professions such as dietetics, speech and occupational therapy, subject to referral by the treating practitioner. |
| ☑️ Physiotherapy, Podiatry, and biokinetics | PMB only, subject to referral by the treating practitioner. |
| 👶 Childbirth (natural) | Unlimited cover at a network hospital. You avoid a R14,680 co-payment by using a hospital on the network. |
| 👶🏿 Childbirth (C-section) | Emergency, approved PMB C-sections only. |
| 📌 Neonatal Care | Limited to R55,080 per family, except for PMB. |
| ✅ Internal and External Prostheses | PMB only, subject to managed care protocols. |
| 🏥 In-hospital dentistry | PMB only via the Designated Service Provider, with pre-authorisation required. |
| 👨⚕️IV conscious sedation in rooms | Allowed only in place of general anaesthetic for in-hospital PMB dental benefits, with pre-authorisation. |
| 🔎 Mental Health Hospitalization | PMB only. No cover for physiotherapy during mental health admissions. Network use avoids the R14,680 co-payment. |
| 📍 Take-Home Medicine after discharge | Up to a 7-day supply, limited to R400 per hospital stay. |
| ☑️ Physical Rehabilitation | PMB only, with pre-authorisation. |
| ⚕️ Hospice and step-down facilities | PMB only, with pre-authorisation. |
| 🔎 Palliative care (cancer) | PMB only, with pre-authorisation. |
| 📌 Cancer Treatment | Unlimited for PMB, subject to pre-authorisation. A 30% co-payment is avoided by using the oncology DSP. |
| 🔎 PET scans | PMB only. A 25% co-payment is avoided by using a network provider. |
| 📍 Cancer Medicine | PMB only, subject to the Medicine Price List and preferred product list. A 20% co-payment is avoided by using the DSP. |
| ☑️ Organ Transplants | PMB only with pre-authorisation. A 30% co-payment is avoided by using the DSP. |
| ✅ Kidney Dialysis | PMB only with pre-authorisation. A 30% co-payment is avoided by using the DSP. |
| 📌 Cataract Surgery | PMB only. You avoid a R9,800 co-payment by using the DSP. |
| 🔎 HIV/AIDS | Unlimited cover if registered on the HIV/AIDS programme. A 30% co-payment is avoided by obtaining chronic medicine from the DSP. |
| ☀️ Day surgery setting | You avoid a R14,680 co-payment by using a network day hospital for selected procedures. Covered procedures include adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, myringotomy, cataract surgery, arthroscopy, colonoscopy, gastroscopy, cystoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, colposcopy, hysteroscopy and hysterosalpingogram. |
| 💰 Specific procedure co-payments | A R5,550 co-payment applies to arthroscopy when done as part of a surgical procedure and to laparoscopy hysterectomy, in addition to any non-network hospital co-payment. Pre-authorisation applies. |
| 🔎 Benefit | ❓ What you get |
| 1️⃣ Virtual GP consultations | You have unlimited virtual GP consultations. |
| 2️⃣ GP consultations | You get three GP visits per beneficiary each year. Two visits may be with non-network GPs and are paid at the Bonitas Rate. |
| 3️⃣ Specialist consultations | You are covered for PMB specialist visits only, subject to a GP referral. |
| 4️⃣ Emergency room benefit | You have two casualty or hospital emergency room consultations per family for true emergencies. Non-emergency visits are taken from your GP consultation allowance. |
| 5️⃣ Acute and over-the-counter medicine | Claims pay from your Benefit Booster first, then PMB only. Acute medicine must follow the formulary. |
| 6️⃣ X-rays and standard blood tests | Claims pay from your Benefit Booster first, then PMB only. |
| 7️⃣ Allied health (dietician, speech, occupational therapy) | Claims pay from your Benefit Booster first, then PMB only. |
| 8️⃣ Optometry | Claims pay from your Benefit Booster first, then PMB only. |
| 9️⃣ Basic dentistry | Claims pay from your Benefit Booster first, then PMB only. |
| 🔟 Physiotherapy | Claims pay from your Benefit Booster first, then PMB only. |
| 1️⃣1️⃣ Mental health consultations | PMB-only cover applies for out-of-hospital mental health visits. |
| 1️⃣2️⃣ In-room procedures at GP | Approved minor procedures are covered with pre-authorisation. Examples include wound suturing, drainage of a superficial abscess, limb casts, ECGs, and removal of benign lesions or superficial foreign bodies. |
Chronic coverage under the BonCore plan is structured with defined conditions and strict rules on how medicine is supplied. Cover applies per member, with all claims running on an annual cycle.
Medication is authorised through managed care protocols, and you need to use the designated service provider, Marara Pharmacy.
If you choose another pharmacy or opt for medication outside the approved formulary, a 30% co-payment is charged. Pre-authorisation is mandatory for all chronic conditions.
What the plan covers (PMB conditions):
Additional condition covered:
BonCore offers extra benefits to support you outside of standard hospital and chronic cover. These are family-level benefits with clear limits, and pre-authorisation is required where noted. They are useful when you travel or need cover across borders.
This benefit helps with day-to-day medical costs before standard benefits are used. It unlocks once you complete an online mental health check and a wellness screening.
This programme encourages members to manage their health proactively through early screening and ongoing care. It focuses on prevention and support for lifestyle-related risks.
Specialised care programmes provide added medical management for specific health conditions. These are supported through structured disease management protocols and designated service providers.
Overall, the BonCore plan is for South Africans who want core cover with an affordable contribution.
The hospital benefits are unlimited at network facilities, without co-payments, which reward members who only use the designated providers.
Day-to-day benefits are limited but supported by the Benefit Booster, which can help with common expenses such as GP visits, dentistry, and optometry. Chronic cover includes all 27 Prescribed Minimum Benefit conditions plus depression, but members must use the designated pharmacy, or they will be subject to a co-payment.
The plan has transparent exclusions, including joint replacements, back surgery, and elective procedures. Thus, it will not suit members who expect broad in-hospital cover.
BonCore is perfect for members who are generally healthy, need essential protection, and value predictable contributions. Its strength lies in network-driven coverage, managed care protocols, and family-level affordability.
You might also like to consider the following plans Bonitas has to offer:
BonCore is a hospital plan with defined day-to-day support and chronic benefits. Cover is limited to the BonCore network, and specific benefits are subject to co-payments and managed care approval.
BonCore contributions are R1,275 per main member, R1,275 per adult dependant, and R1,275 per child dependant, with payments capped at three children.
Hospital cover is unlimited at network hospitals. Specialist and GP care is covered at 100% of the Bonitas Rate in-network and 70% out-of-network. Specific procedures have co-payments, and some treatments are PMB only.
Members get three GP consultations per year, unlimited virtual GP visits, and two emergency room visits per family. Benefit Booster pays first for day-to-day expenses such as dentistry, optometry, x-rays, blood tests, and physiotherapy.
It unlocks once you complete an online mental health check and a wellness screening. After that, it pays first for GP visits, optometry, dentistry, blood tests, physiotherapy, allied health, x-rays, and acute medicine.
You are covered for three GP consultations per beneficiary every year, with two visits allowed at non-network doctors at the Bonitas Rate.
Specialist visits are only paid in full for PMB conditions and must be referred by a GP.
Natural birth is covered in full at a network hospital. Emergency C-sections are covered if classified as a PMB. Neonatal care is limited to R55,080 per family, except for PMB.
BonCore covers 27 PMB conditions such as diabetes, asthma, cardiac disease, epilepsy, and HIV. Depression is also covered up to R165 per beneficiary per month.
Chronic medication must be authorised, collected from Marara Pharmacy, and follow the approved formulary. A 30% co-payment applies if you do not follow these rules.
You must register your condition and get approval through managed care. Chronic medicine is only covered if collected from Marara Pharmacy.
There is no coverage for back and neck surgery, joint replacements, bunion surgery, non-cancerous breast procedures, refractive eye surgery, skin growths, knee and shoulder surgery, or healthcare that does not need hospital admission.
Adriaan holds an MBA and specializes in medical aid research. With his commitment to perfection, he ensures the accuracy of all data presented on medicalaid.com every three months. When he is not conducting research, Adriaan can be found indulging in his passion for trout fishing amidst nature.
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