Medihelp vs. Medshield
💙 Medihelp versus Medshield was 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 Medshield 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 Medshield?
💙 So if you’re ready to go “all in” with Medihelp versus Medshield in South Africa, this guide is for you.
👉 Let’s dive right in…
Overall Comparison
| ✅ Feature | 🥇 Medihelp | 🥇 Medshield |
| General comparison | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Number of plans | 12 | 11 |
| Lowest premium | R750.00 (MedMove Student) | R1 701.00 (MediCurve) |
| Highest premium | R14 184.00 (MedPlus) | R8 784.00 (Premium Plus) |
| Student Plan | Yes with another provider | No |
| Gap Cover | No | Medshield members can access gap cover through their brokers |
| Hospital plans | Yes | Yes |
| Maternity benefits | Yes | Yes |
| Number of members | 200 000+ | 250 000 |
Plan benefits
| ✅ Feature | 🥇 Medihelp | 🥇 Medshield |
| Name of Plan | • MedMove Student • MedMove! • MedVital! • MedVital Elect • MedAdd Elect • MedAdd • MedSaver • MedElect • MedPrime • MedPrime Elect • MedElite • MedPlus | • PremiumPlus • MediBonus • MediSaver • MediPlus Prime • MediPlus Compact • MediCore • MediValue Prime • MediValue Compact • MediPhila • MediCurve |
| Price per plan | • MedMove Student: R750 • MedMove: R1638 • MedVital: R2,880 • MedVital Elect: R2,244 • MedAdd Elect: R2,970 • MedAdd: R3,720 • MedSaver: R3,900 • MedElect: R3,126 • MedPrime: R5,304 • MedPrime Elect: R4,344 • MedElite: R8,172 • MedPlus: R14,184 | • PremiumPlus: R8 784.00 • MediBonus: R8 346.00 • MediSaver: R4 977.00 • MediPlus Prime: R4 989.00 MediPlus Compact: R4 533.00 • MediCore: R3 891.00 • MediValue Prime: R2 997.00 • MediValue Compact: R2 715.00 • MediPhila: R2 004.00 • MediCurve: R1 701.00 |
| GP Visits | Network and Non Network | Yes |
| GP in room visits | Network and Non Network | Yes |
| Specialist visits | Yes | Yes |
| Acute medication | Yes | Yes |
| Chronic medication | Yes | Yes |
| Basic pathology | Basic from day to day benefits | Yes |
| Basic and emergency dentistry | Yes and differs from plan to plan | Yes |
| HIV benefit | Yes | Yes |
| Maternity benefit | Yes | Yes |
| Road accident claims | Will give assistance | Yes |
Medihelp vs. Medshield
👉 Both Medihelp and Medshield are popular and known 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 2025.
Which offers more affordable cover – Medihelp or Medshield?
👉 Medihelp offers the lowest premium on its MedElect Student and MedMove! plans, but Medshield offers a wider variety of medical plans to choose from. Medshield offers a choice between eleven different plans. Both medical aids provide medical aid plans that are reasonably priced. These plans are 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.
👉 Medshield provides gap cover and members can access gap cover through its brokers.
Do both schemes offer hospital plans?
👉 Yes, both Medihelp and Medshield 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 Medshield’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 200 000 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 AA minus 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:
Who is Medshield?
👉 Medshield is a well-established medical aid registered in 1968 and, following its merger with Oxygen, covering in excess of 250 000 lives. The Medshield Scheme has a Global Credit rating of AA – and has reserves well in excess of the mandated 25%.
👉 Each of the plans offered by Medshield has advantages that are reasonably priced. They medical aid constantly evaluates and enhance the variety of benefits offered by each option to provide you with what you actually need, namely high-quality healthcare that is reasonably priced and a selection of plans that are tailored to your unique, individual needs.
👉 Medshield boasts a solvency ratio and stable AA- Global Credit rating which is an indication that beneficiaries can rely on it to pay out their claims. As evidence of their dedication to their members, they invite potential clients to check with their healthcare providers about their payment history. For the 12th consecutive year, they have obtained the coveted AA- rating with a stable outlook for their future claim payment performance in recognition of their efforts to make prompt payments.
👉 All the benefit options of plans provide coverage for homes of various income levels, and members even have the choice of controlling their healthcare 24 hours a day using the provided online tools.
Who will benefit from Medshield?
👉 Medshield is your healthcare Partner for Life with an appropriate product offering for every life stage as the requirements and lifestyle of its members evolve from early adulthood to retirement. Medshield’s benefit options include affordable entry-level options to fully comprehensive medical aid coverage for individuals, professional individuals, couples, families and corporate employees.
💙 MedShield has the following medical aid plans to offer:
Frequently Asked Questions
Which medical aid offers the cheapest medical plan, Medihelp or Medshield?
Medihelp offers the cheapest medical plan with its MedMove Student plan at R750.00 per month, Medshield’s MediCurve plan starts at R1 701.00 per month.
Which medical aid, Medihelp or Medshield are the most popular?
Medihelp boasts membership of over 200 000 whereas Medimed boast members of over 250 000+. Medihelp also offers a choice between nine medical plans whereas Medimed offers a choice between eleven medical plans.
Do Medihelp and Medshield medical aids offer the option of gap cover?
Medihelp don’t provide the option of gap cover but advises that members apply for gap cover from an independent insurer. Medshield offer the option of gap cover, but you can’t take out gap cover with other providers as well.
Do Medihelp and Medshield medical aids have a waiting period?
Yes, both Medihelp and Medshield have a general three-month waiting period during which you are unable to submit a claim.
