Updated June 2026

Bestmed review

Self-administered, doctor-led scheme

8.7/10
Editor score
R1,310/mo
From
48 hours
Claims turnaround
Budget
Pricing tier
Score breakdown

How Bestmed scores, dimension by dimension.

How we rate
Overall
8.7
out of 10

Composite of 6 weighted criteria, refreshed quarterly.

Price competitiveness
9.0
Hospital network
8.2
Claims experience
8.8
Coverage breadth
8.5
Member satisfaction
9.4
Digital experience
8.0
Pros & cons

What we like — and what we don't.

Pros
  • Lowest admin loadings among open schemes
  • Top-quartile member satisfaction
  • Solid chronic management programme
Cons
  • App and self-service lag the pack
  • Smaller hospital network
Plan range

Bestmed options, at a glance.

Beat 1
R1,310/mo

Entry network hospital plan.

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Pace 2
R2,180/mo

Hospital plus core day-to-day with maternity.

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Pulse
R5,640/mo

Comprehensive cover for above-threshold users.

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Rewards & discounts

What lowers your Bestmed premium.

TEMPO programme

Free wellness coaching, screenings and chronic disease management.

Verified member reviews

What Bestmed members actually say.

8.7/10· verified
They actually answer the phone

Speak to a person within two rings every time. Old-school service in the best way.

Reviews are submitted by South African policyholders and verified against scheme membership numbers. We don't edit content.

FAQ

Bestmed, answered.

What does 'self-administered' mean?+

Bestmed does not outsource admin to a third party — it runs its own claims, member service and chronic programme in-house.

Scheme snapshot

Who is Bestmed?

Key facts pulled from the latest CMS annual report and scheme audited financials.

Founded
1964
Members
100,000
Solvency ratio
42.1%
CMS registration
1252
Reserves
R2.3bn
Claims paid (2025)
R3.6bn
Transparency

How we make money.

medicalinsurance.co.za is free to use. We never charge South Africans for a comparison or for being introduced to a scheme.

When you choose to get a quote, the scheme you pick may pay us a referral fee. That fee never changes the premium you're quoted, and it never changes where schemes sit in our rankings — those are based on our independent editorial scoring.

If a scheme doesn't pay us at all, we still list them. We'd rather show you the right cover than only the ones paying us.

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