5 Best Medical Aid covering Physiotherapy + Rates and Prices
💙 The 5 Best Medical Aids for Physiotherapy in South Africa revealed.
💙 We tested them side by side and verified their medical aid plans.
💙 This is a complete guide to the best medical aid for physiotherapy in South Africa.
👉 In this in-depth guide you’ll learn:
- ✅ What is physiotherapy?
- ✅ When do you need physiotherapy?
- ✅ What does physiotherapy help with?
- ✅ Does medical aids cover all physiotherapy visits?
- ✅ How many physiotherapy sessions do you usually need?
- ✅ Are there co-payments for physiotherapists?
💙 So if you’re ready to go “all in” with the best medical aid for physiotherapists in South Africa, this guide is for you.
👉 Let’s dive right in…
Best Medicals Aid covering Physiotherapy (2025) In-Hospital
| 🩺 Medical Aid | ✔️ Plans Under R1500? | ⚕️ Plan Offered | 💵 Rates and Prices | 👉 Sign Up |
| 1. Discovery Health | Yes | Discovery KeyCare Plan | Refer to PMB threshold. | 👉 Apply Now |
| 2. Bonitas | Yes | Boncap Student | Refer to PMB threshold | 👉 Apply Now |
| 3. Momentum Medical Aid | Yes | Ingwe Student Option | Refer to PMB threshold | 👉 Apply Now |
| 4. FedHealth | Yes | flexiFED Savvy | Refer to PMB threshold | 👉 Apply Now |
| 5. Medshield | Yes | MediValue | Refer to PMB threshold | 👉 Apply Now |
Best Medicals Aid covering Physiotherapy (2025) Out-Hospital
| 🩺 Medical Aid | ⚕️Plan Offerd | Monthly Premium (2025*) | 💵 Physiotherapy cover |
| 1. Discovery Health | Comprehensive Series | 7,945 – 9,298 | From Day-to-Day Cover |
| 2. Bonitas | Standard Select | R4,915 | From Day-to-Day Cover |
| 3. Momentum Medical Aid | Extender | 7,215 – 10,381 | From Day-to-Day Cover |
| 4. FedHealth | FlexiFed4 | R5,782 | From Day-to-Day Cover |
| 5. Medshield | Premium Plus | R8,784 | From Day-to-Day Cover |
5 Best Medical Aid for Physiotherapy with Rates and Prices Summary
- Discovery Medical Scheme – Overall, Best Medical Aid for Physiotherapy in South Africa
- Bonitas – Top Extensive Medical Protection in South Africa
- Momentum Health – Broadest Range of Low-Cost Medical Aid Plans
- Fedhealth Medical Scheme – Best Pay-As-You-Go Private Healthcare
- Medshield Medical Scheme – Best Customer Service Medical Aid
Introduction to 5 Best Medical Aids for Physiotherapy
✅ If you have never been to a physiotherapist before, and you intend to take advantage of your health benefits, you should verify that your medical aid company will pay for treatment provided by the physical therapist that you are visiting.
What is Physiotherapy?
👉🏾 The goal of treatment in physiotherapy is to restore, preserve, and maximize a patient’s mobility and function, as well as their overall well-being. Rehabilitating injured muscles and joints, preventing future injuries, and improving overall health are all beneficial aspects of physiotherapy. Physiotherapists encourage patients to take an active role in their own healing process.
👉🏾 In what areas does a physiotherapist specialize? Movement is the subject of research carried out by physiotherapists. They get the ability to identify the underlying causes of an injury.
👉🏾 If you have a chronic pain condition or an injury that is affecting your daily function, you should seriously consider undergoing physiotherapy. Following medical procedures like a hip replacement or events like a heart attack or stroke, your primary care physician may recommend that you participate in physiotherapy.
👉🏾 If you want to utilise your health insurance to assist pay some or all of the expense of physiotherapy, you should remember to check the website of your insurance provider to make sure physiotherapists are included in the coverage. You will not be able to make use of your benefits and will be required to pay the entire cost of treatment if the physiotherapist is not covered by the insurance company that you have.
👉 READ more about the 5 Best Medical Aids for Foreigners Living in South Africa reviewed
What kind of problems do physiotherapists treat?
💙 Physiotherapists focus on both prevention and rehabilitation. Treatment can be given for problems caused by injury, disease or disability, for example:
- ☑️ Difficulties in the bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments, such as arthritis and the aftereffects of amputation
- ☑️ Lung difficulties, such as asthma
- ☑️ Disability as a result of heart problems
- ☑️ Pelvic issues, such as bladder and bowel problems related to childbirth
- ☑️ Loss of mobility due to trauma to the brain or spine, or due to diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
- ☑️ Fatigue, pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of muscle strength, for example during cancer treatment or palliative care
- ☑️ Loss of mobility due to diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
👉 Your session will be one of a kind due to the fact that it will be centered entirely on you and the requirements that you have. In most cases, the following is what takes place:
💙 The physiotherapist will learn about your medical history, then the physiotherapist will evaluate and diagnose your issue and you will receive a treatment plan that outlines goals for you.
💙 You will be given a series of exercises and any necessary assistive devices and you may probably obtain a prescription for any necessary assistive devices.
📢 Complete below form and receive a free, no obligation quote
Get the Best Medical Aid Quotes from Hippo Advisory Services
The rates and prices of physiotherapy
👉🏿 The majority of the time, psychotherapy is seen as a treatment strategy that is intended to be carried out over a prolonged period of time and involves hourly sessions. Because of this, it is possible for it to be a costly alternative for patients.
👉🏿 Depending on what you do and how long the session is, the price of each session can range anywhere from R350 all the way up to R1 400. Try to get an estimate of the number of times you will be required to show up too. Sometimes the more expensive ones simply require one or two visits from you.
👉🏿 Musculoskeletal treatments can cost around R700 for a 45 minute treatment session.
👉🏿 Neurology patients can expect to pay around R750 for a rehabilitation session of an hour.
👉🏿 Chest Patients can expect a cost of around R500.
👉🏿 Patients will be provided with the resources, information, and techniques necessary to effect good behavioral changes.
1. Discovery Medical Scheme
👉🏿 Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) is South Africa’s most extensive open healthcare system. This opportunity is open to anybody, even young adults, so long as they are willing to comply with the terms and conditions of the Programme.
👉🏿 There are over twenty distinct health plan choices available via the Discovery Health Medical Scheme. All of these plans are appropriate for young people since they provide unrestricted coverage for private hospital stays as well as a variety of additional benefits that may be tailored to each individual’s preferences and budgetary constraints.
👉🏿 The plans provide access to a variety of benefits, care plans, and services that ensure any young adult will receive the highest quality medical care whenever it is required of them.
👉🏿 According to Discovery, competing South African medical plans charge an average of 14.9% more in payments for the same level of coverage. This is a particularly appealing feature for younger individuals who may not yet make large wages because it lowers the overall cost of the plan.
👉🏿 You also have the opportunity to participate in Vitality, the company’s wellness programme, which recognizes and commends you for living a healthy lifestyle by providing you with prizes such as free gym memberships and other perks.
👉🏿 As part of its Executive, Comprehensive, Priority, and Saver tiers of coverage, Discovery Health provides benefits that cover physiotherapy both in-hospital and on a day-to-day basis.
👉🏿 Claims are reimbursed either from the funds that are available in your medical savings account or from the hospital benefit for admissions, whichever is applicable. The Executive plan offers an additional benefit known as an over threshold benefit, which pays out claims after you have depleted your savings account and have reached a certain yearly threshold.
👉🏿 You have the option to augment your coverage with the allied, therapeutic, and psychological extender benefit if you have either the Executive or Comprehensive plan. The yearly benefit cap is not taken into account, and unrestricted coverage is offered for a predetermined set of medical procedures. In order to be qualified, patients must have problems that are either severe or complicated.
2. Bonitas
✔️ Since Bonitas has been in business for close to 40 years, the company has had the time to cultivate a deep tradition and acquire an in-depth understanding of the South African private healthcare industry.
✔️ Therefore, whether it is keeping a finger on the pulse of technological advancements, managing your care so that lifestyle diseases are identified before they become chronic, or negotiating better rates for you, its team of experts is constantly looking for innovative ways to ensure that members receive affordable, quality healthcare.
✔️ If you are one among the more than 700,000 beneficiaries, you have the opportunity to take advantage of the company’s more affordable rates and dependable service providers in order to maintain your health and reduce the overall cost of medical treatment.
✔️ The broad variety of plans offered by Bonitas ensures that you and your family will be able to choose one that is a good fit for your particular needs and preferences. The programmes are developed to be user-friendly while increasing the amount of advantages you receive.
✔️ Benefits for physiotherapy are provided on a sliding scale by Bonitas. There are yearly maximums that a family must stay within, payments are contingent upon receiving prior authorization, and there are separate quotas for in- and outpatient consultations.
✔️ The BonComprehensive, BonClassic, and Standard plans all give coverage for premium mental health benefits including physiotherapy, however the BonCap plan only offers protection for PMBs.
3. Momentum Health
👉🏿 Momentum is one of the most effective open medical plans in South Africa, and it is managed by one of the largest and most respected healthcare solutions companies in the country. Momentum Health Solutions is wholly owned by its parent company, Momentum Metropolitan Life Limited.
👉🏿 Momentum Health benefits cover physiotherapy, psychiatry and psychology services, as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Cover varies from plan to plan. In particular, the Summit option offers an attractive limit per beneficiary in hospital, as well as day-to-day benefits paid at 100% of the scheme rate, subject to an annual limit.
👉🏿 The Extender plan is another good alternative to consider. Each member’s payment is put into a medical savings account at a rate of one-fourth of the total amount, which allows for greater access to day-to-day coverage. After a certain point has been achieved and the savings account has been drained, the advantage of extended coverage will take effect.
4. Fedhealth Medical Scheme
✔️ Since 1936, Fedhealth has been taking care of the health of South Africans. Over the years, they have worked hard to offer affordable health care that is also of high quality.
✔️ Fedhealth is also known for its unique benefits paid by Risk, which help members get more out of their regular benefits.
✔️ The company is still run by members for members, and they are always coming up with new ways to help people take care of their health in a world that is always changing.
✔️ Several of the medical aid plans offered by Fedhealth are suitable to fit the needs and budget of most people.
✔️ The choice will depend on their health situation, available budget and how they prefer to manage their medical expenses.
✔️ Although expensive, the maxima EXEC offers comprehensive all-round cover for members who may need physiotherapy. Apart from in-hospital, chronic medicine, screening and additional benefits, it has a day-to-day savings portion and Threshold benefit.
✔️ The maxima PLUS option is the ideal choice for those in need of physiotherapy because it offers extensive medical cover for every aspect of your healthcare, like generous in-hospital cover, chronic medicine, screening and additional benefits, a day-to-day savings portion, a Threshold benefit, and an optional hospital expense benefit.
✔️ This option is quite expensive though and can only be considered by anyone who has a considerable income to spend on medical aid.
✔️ Fedhealth is also known for an excellent scheme that offers you a hospital only plan, but with the benefit of a day-to-day savings fund that you repay only when you spend them. If you want to have access to funds for unforeseen out of hospital costs, but which you can control, this is a very good choice for a medical scheme for all.
5. Medshield Medical Scheme
☑️ Medshield offers a choice of 10 different plan options of which MediValue is the most popular option. The Compact options have compulsory use of networks and care co-ordination, nominating a Family Practitioner and the Family Practitioner-to-Specialist referral process, resulting in cheaper contributions.
☑️ Medshield has merged with Oxygen Medical Aid. They have approximately 110 000 members. Medshield has been around since 1968, making Medshield one of the most knowledgeable and trustworthy medical aid plans in South Africa.
Other options include:
👉🏿 Premium Plus – suited for families and individuals requiring extensive medical cover. It provides unlimited hospital coverage at a hospital of your choosing, and it pays 200% of the fees incurred by in-hospital specialists. A full range of treatments are subject to co-payments, although only a select few in-hospital services are excluded from coverage entirely.
👉🏿 The funds are used to pay for the day-to-day expenses. After that, a gap for self-payment is applied, and after that, some claims are paid from the benefits that are above the threshold. In addition, there is coverage for preventative care and maternity benefits.
👉🏿 MediBonus – suited for individuals requiring extensive medical cover. It provides unlimited hospital coverage at a hospital of your choosing, and it pays 200% of the fees incurred by in-hospital specialists. A full range of treatments are subject to co-payments, although only a select few in-hospital services are excluded from coverage entirely.
👉🏿 Claims for day-to-day expenses are paid out of a set benefit pool, and extra benefits are made available for basic and specialist dental care, specialized radiography, and optometry. In addition, benefits for maternity care and preventative medicine are offered.
👉🏿 MediPlus – suitable for young families and individuals. It offers unlimited hospital cover at a network of hospitals, with in-hospital specialist bills paid at 100%. Co-payments are applied to a comprehensive list of procedures and a short list of in-hospital exclusions applies. Day to day claims are paid from a defined benefit account.
👉🏿 MediSaver is suitable for young healthy families and individuals. It offers unlimited hospital cover at a network of hospitals, with in-hospital specialist bills paid at 100%. Co-payments are applied to a comprehensive list of hospital procedures and a short list of in-hospital exclusions apply.
👉🏿 MediSwift is an unlimited hospital plan to cover In-Hospital expenses for major medical emergencies. MediSwift offers unlimited In-Hospital cover through the Compact Hospital Network, with In-Hospital procedures paid at the Medshield Tariff (100%), and an additional physiotherapy and biokinetics benefit for non-professional sportsmen and women.
👉🏿 These medical aid schemes have been ranked as the best suppliers of medical aid coverage for physiotherapy. Hospital plans and private hospital insurance are offered by a large number of additional service providers in South Africa; nonetheless, the aforementioned organisations are among the most well-known names in the field of medical aid.
☑️ You might like the best medical aid for women
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a referral from a doctor to access physiotherapy benefits through my medical aid?
You may or may not require a doctor’s referral to use your physiotherapy benefits, depending on your medical insurance plan and the specific rules of your insurance company.
What are the benefits of medical aids for physiotherapy?
Medical assistance can provide physiotherapy with a number of advantages, such as financial help, access to a provider network, expanded treatment options, improved rehabilitation support, and preventative and maintenance care.
Are there any limitations or restrictions on physiotherapy coverage by medical aids?
Yes, certain restrictions or limitations on the coverage of physiotherapy may be imposed by medical aids. Common restrictions include a cap on the number of sessions per year, a list of approved treatment modalities, and a need for pre-approval.
How much will I pay for physiotherapy if my medical aid does not cover the cost?
Physiotherapy can range from R120 up to R600 a session depending what you need and how long the session is.
What does a physiotherapist do?
Physiotherapists assist patients in recovering from injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education, and guidance in all areas. They assist patients of all ages manage their pain and avoid sickness, which contributes to the overall maintenance of their health.
What types of physiotherapy do you get?
Different types of physiotherapy treatment include the following:
- ☑️ Sports Physiotherapy.
- ☑️ Geriatric Physiotherapy.
- ☑️ Orthopedic Physiotherapy.
- ☑️ Pediatric Physiotherapy.
- ☑️ Neurological Physiotherapy.
- ☑️ Cardiovascular Physiotherapy.
