KeyCare medical aid from Discovery Health, offers several affordable plans suitable for low to middle-income earners and pensioners in South Africa.
Keycare plans have unlimited private network hospital cover including specialists, maternity care, mental health and chronic illnesses.Plans include KeyCare Plus (comprehensive), KeyCare Start (lower-cost with smaller network), KeyCare Start Regional (region-specific), and KeyCare Core (hospital-only), all with income-based premiums.
Benefits are easy to understand and provide access to private healthcare and preventative/wellness care.
Because it is a lower premium plan there are limits for day-to-day and hospital cover, like no joint replacement or specialised dentistry. However, the plans do offer essential benefits for a very affordability premium.
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Affordable with excellent benefits, it is the most popular plan in South Africa.
- Are you looking for medical aid that is affordable but has good benefits and limits?
- Is medical aid, just too expensive and complicated?
- Are comprehensive plans way too expensive?
- Do you want to use private hospitals?
- Do you need to see the doctor as often as needed?
- Do you want a plan that is easy to use?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it is time you join the most popular plan in South Africa!
Why People Prefer KeyCare.
KeyCare is an affordable medical aid offering private hospitalisation, day-to-day and chronic illness benefits. 350,000 beneficiaries cannot be wrong:
- Income-based Premium: all members receive the same benefits, regardless of what you earn. This income-based approach ensures fairness and accessibility for everyone.
- Attractive Option for individuals and families on a budget, offering comprehensive benefits without financial strain.
- Extensive Provider Network: you are sure to find providers you can easily access for treatment.
- Comprehensive Benefits including unlimited hospitalisation, casualty benefits, GP visits, prescribed medicines, basic dentistry, optical services, preventive screening tests, and flu vaccine benefits in the KeyCare Hospital Network.
- Full in-hospital cover for network specialists.
- Up to 100% of the Discovery Health Rate for other specialists.
- You have access private healthcare services at a lower cost compared to other plans.
- Simple, easy to understand and use, particularly suitable for those who are new to medical aid.
- Ideal for pensioners on a strict budget, providing access to quality healthcare services.
Affordable Premiums. KeyCare plans are generally considered one of the more affordable medical aid options in the market.
They are suitable for individuals seeking affordable healthcare excellent benefits and service.
Premiums are based on your income (which you need to prove). They are recommended for low income earners.
KeyCare has 4 plans to choose from with premium increases only from April 2026:
1. Keycare Plus: Comprehensive in and out-of-hospital benefits.
Premiums start from R 1,652 pm.
2. Keycare Start: Lower cost option with a smaller provider network
Premiums start from R 1,1239 pm.
3. Keycare Start Regional: Specific regions with day-to-day healthcare benefits
Premiums start from R 1,102 pm.
4. Keycare Core: In-hospital only benefits.
Premiums range from R 1,286 pm.
You to choose a plan that meets your healthcare needs and budget
And is way better than any hospital insurance plan!
The Benefits that KeyCare offers
Hospital Benefits- Unlimited hospital cover in the KeyCare hospital network.
- Listed In-hospital specialists paid in full.
Others at the Discovery rate. - Full cover for life-threatening emergencies.
- Day surgery, for defined conditions in Network hospitals.
Chronic Illness Benefits
- 27 PMB conditions, like asthma, diabetes, HIV, and hypertension are fully covered using listed providers.
- Condition specific care programmes for diabetes, mental health, HIV and heart conditions.
Day-to-day Benefits
- Unlimited network GP visits with an allocated doctors.
- 2 Nurse-led consultations , video call consultations with a GP, and referral for a face-to-face consultation where needed.
- Specialist benefit
- Defined list of procedures that are performed in specialists’ rooms
- Blood, urine and other fluid and tissue tests
- Basic x-rays
- Day-to-day, prescribed medicine
- Essential dentistry and optical benefits
- Casualty visit
- Full network cover for Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB) oncology treatment.
80% of Discovery rate for non-network providers.
KeyCare Start and KeyCare Start Regional treatment i in a state facility.
Maternity Benefits During Pregnancy
- Antenatal consultations
- Ultrasound scans and screenings
- Flu vaccinations
- Blood tests
- GP and specialists to help you after birth
- Postnatal care including consultation for complications after delivery.
- Antenatal or postnatal classes, (including online cases) or consultations with a registered nurse, for up to two years after you have given birth.
- Breastfeeding consultation with a registered nurse
- A nutritional assessment with a dietitian
- Mental healthcare consultations with a counsellor or psychologist during pregnancy or after you give birth.
- Access to the Parent Sense app where you can access helpful resources, personalised breastfeeding schedules, sleep routines, and more.
Essential Screening and Prevention Benefits
- Screening for children.
Height/weight, head measurement, health and milestone tracking. - Screening for adults.
Blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and HIV. Mammogram or breast ultrasound, Pap smear or HPV test, PSA test, Bowl cancer screening. - Screening for seniors 65 and older with cover for an age-appropriate falls-risk screening assessment.
Comprehensive palliative care programme.
Disease management for sleep disorders.
WHO Global Outbreak Benefit
Care Programmes like Oncology, Disease Prevention, Diabetes Care, Depression Risk Management, HIV Care, Mental Health and Cardio Care.
Home Care benefits.
Personalised health pathways designed to help you achieve better health. The pathway consists of a curated sequence of health and lifestyle actions, tailored to your unique needs, encouraging you to adopt and maintain healthier habits and positive behaviour changes.
Accumulate funds as you engage in this pathway and complete your next best actions.
The fund can be used for day-to-day medical expenses.
>strong>HealthID an online digital platform that gives your doctor fast, up-to-date access to your health information.
Second opinion services from Cleveland Clinic for life-threatening and life-changing conditions.
Assistance during or after a traumatic event
Value Added Offers like:
- Healthy Care to get savings on a vast range of personal and family care products at any Clicks or Dis-Chem.
- Savings on stem cell banking
Discovery Health App lets you navigate the healthcare system easily.
Access Personal Health Pathways, receive the advice and healthcare support that you need, 24/7, through a set of innovative features.
Private healthcare providers can charge up to 500% of medical scheme rates.Medical aids add procedure co-payments as well.
These are significant costs you must consider.
Protect yourself by joining Zest's GAP or top-up insurance plan.
This separate insurance will cover most in-hospital claim shortfalls and any co-payments. It is a vital safety net, ensuring you have enough to cover medical treatments, without having to pay for unexpected costs.Joining a hospital plan with Gap Cover remains the most affordable way for families to protect against rising costs in 2026.
Specialised Dental treatments can be extremely expensive!
The costs of braces, root canal, implants and so on, can run into thousands of rand.Most treatments are done out-of-hospital, and are paid from your savings.
That can result in less money available for other medical needs and family limits being used on one member only!
Dental treatment is something we all need and it is vital you consider the Best Dental Insurance Plan
OR Most Affordable Dental Plan in South Africa.
No Medical Aid or have a Hospital Plan only?
This plan will help you meet the high costs of both normal and specialised dentistry!
Vitality is the best wellness programme that encourages, facilitates and rewards you as you get healthier.Get points for using Vitality and increase your discounts and benefits!
Use the Discovery Credit Card and get rewarded every time you use it!
Join a medical scheme where you will have no complaints about having run out of medical savings!
You'll not find these benefits, for this cost anywhere.
This is the best, cheapest medical aid available in South Africa!Join now using the Discovery application and instructions on completing it!
Frequently Asked Questions: KeyCare Medical Aid
1. Are you finding medical aid is difficult to understand and too expensive?Many people, like you, find medical aid difficult to understand costly. However, KeyCare from Discovery Health offers easy to understand benefits and has a premium based on your income, so it is available to everyone. It is ideal for first-time medical aid members as well as pensioners. It offers affordability and more than adequate benefits.
2. Is a comprehensive medical aid too expensive?
Comprehensive medical aid is expensive and many members need to look for more affordable plans. KeyCare is an ideal plan to consider as it offers excellent, comprehensive benefits at affordable income-related premiums.
It ensures that most members and families can get a medical aid they can afford.
3. Do you want to use private hospitals?
Admission to private hospitals is a necessity in South Africa. KeyCare provides all the benefits of private hospitalisation at a much lower cost when compared to other plans. You do need to use listed providers, but with an extensive network, you can easily get access to quality healthcare -when you need it.
4. Do you often need to see a doctor?
Visits to the doctor are essential for good health, but the cost of those consults adds up quickly. If you use a GP often, KeyCare is you answer, because it gives you unlimited network GP visits, whether for routine check-ups, managing chronic conditions, or emergencies.
5. Do you want a medical aid that is easy to understand and use?
Medical aid is notorious for “fine print.” But KeyCare is simple understand and use. It has clear benefits and rules, from finding a provider, submitting claims, or understanding the benefits. Their “user-friendly” approach makes this medical aid simple and stress-free for members.
P.S. If you work for a company, pass the Discovery Health Medical Scheme onto your HR I'm sure that Discovery Health can save your company substantial money. And won't that look good for you!
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I market Discovery Health products and am not employed by them.
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Important Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or healthcare advice.
Medical aid benefits are subject to change. Please consult the medical aid brochure and speak to me before making any decisions.
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Last verified: January 6, 2026