Medihelp versus Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund compared and revealed. We tested them side by side and verified their medical aid plans benefits, affordability, and much more.
This is a complete guide to Medihelp and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund in South Africa.
👉 In this in-depth guide you’ll learn:
✅ What is a Medical Scheme?
✅ Which medical aid is the best for young families?
✅ Which medical aid is best for a young person?
✅ How to compare medical aids against each other?
✅ Which should you choose: Medihelp or Fedhealth?
So if you’re ready to go “all in” with Medihelp versus Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund in South Africa, this guide is for you.
Both Medihelp and Sizwe Hosmed Medial Fund are popular and well-known top medical aid schemes in South Africa that provide a comprehensive selection of tailored plans. Here, we compare in these two medical aid schemes to help you decide on the best option for your healthcare needs in 2026.
Which offers more affordable cover – Medihelp or Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
Medihelp offers the lowest premium of the two aids on its MedElect Student plan that specifically focusses on students. Sizwe Hosmed Medical fund on the other hand offers a choice of 8 plans to choose from. Plans at both the medical aids are reasonably priced and meant for individuals, families, and retirees.
Do both schemes offer gap cover?
👉 A gap coverage policy is a short-term insurance plan that covers a deficit if people see doctors and specialists who charge more than their medical aids. Medical help and gap cover, cover you.
👉 For a monthly charge, your gap cover provider will pay you a percentage of the difference between the total cost of your medical care and the amount your health insurance policy would cover. If you use a non-network doctor, you'll likely pay more at a private hospital than your plan would cover.
👉 Medihelp does not offer direct Gap Cover within the medical scheme but advise you to take out gap cover from an independent insurer. Anyone who is an up to date member of Medihelp and who meets the age requirement can apply for cap cover for Medihelp.
👉 Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund does not make provision for gap cover and it is suggested that you contact an individual broker to make your own provision for gap cover.
Do both schemes offer hospital plans?
👉 Yes, both Medihelp and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Plan offer hospital plans. All nine the plans Medihelp offer give you access to quality care at private hospitals with no overall annual limit. Some Medihelp plans offer you a choice between using any hospital or a network hospital when you join the network version of the plan at a considerably lower premium, which is made possible by negotiating tariffs with efficient networks of hospitals and day procedure facilities.
👉 All of Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund's plans come with hospital plans that will pay for the costs of your care if you are admitted to the hospital, including ward costs, theatre fees, and accounts from other in-hospital providers like anesthesiologists or radiologists. All of its hospital plans are governed by the terms of the Scheme, pre-approval, case management, clinical guidelines, and the benefit choice you have selected.
Who is Medihelp?
👉 Medihelp is the second largest self-administered medical aid in South Africa and has been serving the interests of members for the past 117 years. It has close to 220 000 beneficiaries, and remain one of the top five choices of medical aids in the industry.
👉 The sole objective of Medihelp, as a self-administered medical aid, is to look after its members and provide for their medical need. All South Africans are welcome to apply, whether they are students, newly employed individuals looking to enrol in a medical insurance plan for the first time, independent business owners searching for a trustworthy healthcare provider for their staff, or parents supporting expanding families.
👉 Medihelp’s reserve level is well above the legal requirement and its ability to pay members’ claims is rated amongst the highest in the industry at A+ by Global Credit Rating (GCR), the largest independent rating company in Africa.
👉 Medihelp is owned by its members and handles administrative duties as processing and paying claims, pre-authorisation and communication with members in-house.
Who will benefit from Medihelp?
All Medihelp plans are designed to provide solid cover for what is considered essential to preserve and protect your health. It makes provision for students, singles, couples, families and pensioners.
MediHelp has the following 11 plans to choose from:
👉 Sizwe Medical Fund was founded in 1978. The Fund is essentially a South African company that in many ways mirrors a South African story. Hosmed Medical Scheme was founded in 1998. The two medical aids merged to form Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund.
👉 The Group’s goals in creating the Fund were to lead South African people in healthcare issues and to offer medical aid coverage for South Africans. South African specialists can now launch their own private practices because of this. Additionally, it allowed all South Africans private patients and their doctors access to pricey drugs, X-rays, and other investigations that were beyond reach for almost everyone without medical aid coverage.
👉 Sizwe Hosmed Medical funds’ footprint stretches nationwide and itis accepted by all service providers. It guarantees unlimited hospitalization on all options for PMB conditions. The collective value of Hosmed day-to-day benefits per option compares well with the rest of the industry.
👉 It offers optometry, dentistry, pathology and radiology benefits per person, no matter how big your family is. Additionally, it includes a wellness benefit for all beneficiaries on all options as well as access to a 24-hour call center, including telephonic nurse advice on emergency and nonemergency transfer.
👉 Overall the scheme offers a traditional, sound healthcare solution for all South Africans.
Who will benefit from Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
👉 With Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund, you have access to a wide range of medical aid options and industry-leading benefits for individuals as well as the whole family.
Which medical aid offers the cheapest medical plan, Medihelp or Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund?
Medihelp offers the cheapest medical plan with its MedMove Student plan at R804 per month, which specifically caters for students. The cheapest plan with Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund lowest option is the Access Core plan at R3 161
Which medical aid, Medihelp or Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund are the most popular?
Medihelp boasts membership of over 220 000+ whereas Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund boast 63 577 members and 152 421 beneficiaries.
Medihelp also offers a choice between 12 medical plans whereas Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund offers a choice between 8 medical plans.
Do Medihelp and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund medical aids offer the option of gap cover?
Medihelp doesn't have a gap cover option. Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund provides the option of gap cover only when you have the full budget plan with Sizwe fund.
Do Medihelp and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund medical aids have a waiting period?
Yes, both Medihelp and Sizwe Hosmed Medical Fund have a general three-month waiting period during which you are unable to submit a claim.
