BestMed Medical Scheme vs KeyHealth
BestMed Medical Scheme versus Keyhealth 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 BestMed and Keyhealth 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: BestMed or Keyhealth?
So if you’re ready to go “all in” with the BestMed versus Keyhealth in South Africa, this guide is for you.
Let’s dive right in…
Overall Comparison
✔️ Feature | 🥇 BestMed | 🥇 Keyhealth |
General comparison | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Number of plans | 13 | 6 |
Lowest premium | R2 111.00 (Beat1 Network) | R1 990.00 (Essence) |
Highest premium | R11 662.00 (Pace4) | R11 308.00 (Platinum) |
Student Plan | No | No |
Gap Cover | No | No |
Hospital plans | Yes | Yes |
Maternity benefits | Yes | Yes |
Number of members | 210 000 | 69 000+ |
Plan benefits
✔️ Feature | 🥇 BestMed | 🥇 Keyhealth |
Name of Plan | • Beat1 • Beat1 Network • Rhythm1 • Rhythm2 • Beat2 • Beat2 Network • Beat3 • Beat3 Network • Pace1 • Beat4 • Pace2 • Pace3 • Pace4 | • Essence • Origin • Equilibrium • Silver • Gold • Platinum |
Price per plan | Beat1: R2 347.00 • Beat1 Network: R2 111.00 • Rhythm1: R1 615.00 • Rhythm2: R2 368.00 • Beat2: R2 869.00 • Beat2 Network: R2 581.00 • Beat3: R4 199.00 • Beat3 Network: R3 779.00 • Pace1: R5 706.00 • Beat4: R6 832.00 • Pace2: R8 132.00 • Pace3: R9 336.00 • Pace4: R11 662.00 | • Essence: R1 990.00 • Origin: R2 250.00 • Equilibrium: 2 778.00 • Silver: R4 799.00 • Gold: R7 036.00 Platinum: R11 308.00 |
GP Visits | Yes | Yes |
GP in room visits | Yes | Yes |
Specialist visits | Yes | Yes |
Acute medication | Yes | Yes |
Chronic medication | Yes | Yes |
Basic pathology | Yes | Yes |
Basic and emergency dentistry | Yes | Yes on basic dentistry |
Basic optometry | Yes | Yes |
HIV benefit | Yes | Yes |
Maternity benefit | Yes | Yes |
Road accident claims | Yes | Yes |
BestMed Medical Scheme vs. KeyHealth
👉 Both BestMed and KeyHealth are reliable medical aid schemes 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 2024.
Which offers more affordable cover – BestMed or KeyHealth?
👉 While KeyHealth offers the low premium on its Essence plan, BestMed offers a greater selection of affordable medical aid plans designed for individuals, young families, and pensioners.
Do both schemes offer gap cover?
👉 Gap cover is a short-term insurance policy which provides shortfall cover where doctors and specialists charge above medical aid rates of cover. BestMed offers direct cover from a broker while KeyHealth does not.
👉 BestMed doesn’t have their own Gap cover. Once your savings are depleted, you have access to your day-to-day benefits. Therefore, you do not have to fund any gap.
👉 Although KeyHealth does not make specific provisions for Gap Cover options, it has adopted two approaches to tackle this issue. The first is to keep its products as affordable as possible. Equilibrium includes a savings account which could be used to meet co-payments or day-to-day expenses.
Do both schemes offer hospital plans?
👉 Yes, both schemes offer hospital plans. BestMed offers you a choice of only having hospital coverage with your plan or combining it with day-to-day expenses. BestMed hospital plans cover you in the hospital for unlimited emergency and planned procedures. You also get access to some additional benefits for wellness and preventative care. It includes full cover in hospitals for specialists and full cover for chronic medication.
👉 All six plans offered by KeyHealth include hospital plans to cover the treatment costs if you’re admitted to the hospital such as ward costs, theatre fees, and accounts from other in-hospital providers such as anaesthetists or radiologists. All its hospital plans are subject to Scheme rules, pre-authorization, case management, clinical protocols and the benefit option you have chosen.
Who is BestMed Medical Scheme?
👉 Bestmed was founded in 1964 and currently has more than 210 000 lives under its care. The Scheme is the largest self-administered scheme in South Africa and the fourth largest open medical scheme.
👉 BestMed has also been recognised for its outstanding contribution to the medical aid and healthcare industry and has received a number of awards. In 2020 and 2021 it received the highest rating for perceived quality, perceived value, customer service and customer loyalty in the Medical Scheme Industry Category in the South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi). The scheme also received the highest rating for customer expectations and has the lowest rating in the industry for beneficiary complaints.
👉 Bestmed was ranked number one in the Medical Aid Industry performance category of the 2020 Ask Afrika Orange Index® and was also awarded the Excellence in Creating Access to Quality Healthcare (Organisations) award at the 2020 annual Titanium Awards presented by the Board for Healthcare Fundraisers (BHF).
👉 BestMed recognises that people’s healthcare needs are different, depending on their age, marital status, family size, general health, priorities and budget and keeping this in mind, offers three main medical plan ranges, each with its own unique benefit options to choose from.
👉 They have a solution for you whether you simply only want to pay for hospital expenses or demand a more comprehensive product. The three categories for plans on offer are beaten, pace, and rhythm.
👉 The Beat range provides flexible hospital benefits as well as savings on certain options to cover out-of-hospital expenses. Beat1, 2, and 3 also allow you to reduce your monthly contribution by choosing a Network option.
👉 The Pace range offers more comprehensive in-hospital and out-of-hospital benefits. In addition, these options all have additional savings accounts to cover extensive out-of-hospital expenses.
👉 The Rhythm range consists of Network only options that offer in-hospital and GP benefits.
You might also consider the following options BestMed has to offer:
- 💙 BestMed Beat 3 Network
- 💙 BestMed Beat 2 Network
- 💙 BestMed Beat 1 Network
- 💙 BestMed Tempo
- 💙 BestMed Pace 4
- 💙 BestMed Pace 3
- 💙 BestMed Pace 1
- 💙 BestMed Rhythm 2
- 💙 BestMed Rhythm 1
- 💙 BestMed Beat 4
- 💙 BestMed Beat 3
- 💙 BestMed Beat 2
- 💙 BestMed Beat 1
Who will benefit from BestMed Medical Scheme?
👉 BestMed offers comprehensive medical cover that is well-suited towards individuals, established families and higher income earners as well as pensioners.
👉 BestMed also operates on a network-based coverage basis, so that individuals should first check whether they reside in areas that fall within the pre-selected GP, hospital and specialist network, making it a better option for those residing in urban areas.
Who is KeyHealth?
👉 KeyHealth is a well-known medical plan and health insurance company in South Africa. The Scheme, which is managed by PPS Healthcare. KeyHealth Medical Aid, strive to keep its members’ contributions as affordable as possible, throughout all its options, from the most basic to the most comprehensive plan. Members are given fair and reasonable value and coverage in return for their monthly contributions.
👉 All KeyHealth plans come with three additional complimentary benefits, namely Easy-ER, Health Booster, and Smart Baby, and all provide limitless coverage for Prescribed Medical Conditions (PMBs) in compliance with South African law. Some exclusions apply based on the chosen plan. The Chronic Disease List is covered by all options.
👉 The most affordable option with Health is Essence. Some exclusions apply, such as day-to-day medical costs, dentistry, prostheses, and hospitalisation benefits for some surgical operations. Disaster and other significant medical expenses caused by accidents (in hospitals) are covered. The next option, equilibrium, is also reasonably priced, but although daily medical coverage is provided, some hospital benefits are excluded.
👉 With the Silver plan, two in-hospital treatment benefits and specialised dentistry are excluded. Gold is the recommended plan which offers comprehensive and complete cover. While member contributions are higher, the benefits are also higher.
👉 The Platinum option is at the top of the list. A Threshold Zone that funds extra expenses after the predetermined Self-Payment Gap has been closed is one of the benefits. Other benefits include those for routine, daily expenses.
Who will benefit from KeyHealth?
👉 KeyHealth offers a fairly comprehensive medical cover that is well-suited towards individuals, families and pensioners. It offers comprehensive plans, with good coverage that is affordable.
KeyHealth offers 6 medical aid plans:
Frequently Asked Questions
Which medical aid offers the cheapest medical plan, Bestmed or KeyHealth?
Both medical aids offer a plan which is fairly similar in price. KeyHealth’s Essence plans is a little more expensive at R1 990.00 per month, compared to the Rhythm 1 Network plan of Bestmed the cheapest option at R1 615.00 per month.
Which medical aid, Bestmed or KeyHealth are the most popular?
If appears that Bestmed is more popular with over 210 000 members where KeyHealth has about 69 000+ members. Bestmed offers a choice between 13 plan options, where KeyHealth only offers a choice between six medical plans.
Do KeyHealth and Bestmed medical aids offer the option of gap cover?
Bestmed does not offer the option to apply for gap cover but it can be taken from other providers. KeyHealth, however, does not make specific provision for gap cover but opts to rather keep its products as affordable as possible. Member do have the option to apply for gap cover with an independent insurer.
Do KeyHealth and Bestmed medical aids have a waiting period?
Yes, both KeyHealth and Bestmed have a general three-month waiting period during which you are unable to submit a claim.
Which is the best medical aid between Bestmed and KeyHealth?
Since Bestmed inception in 1964, it has received numerous awards which speaks for itself. It also has the lowest rating in the industry for beneficiary complaints. KeyHealth has been operating since 1968 and has maintained the necessary high membership figures since then. The key to its success has been an unwavering determination to offer its members the best possible value for their hard-earned cash.