ABOUT THE SCHEME
The Story Behind Bestmed
Bestmed began life in 1964 as SOMS — the Statutory Medical Scheme — operating as a closed scheme. In 1990 it transitioned to an open scheme and was renamed Bestmed. Today it is the 4th largest open scheme in South Africa, covering approximately 120,000 principal members and 250,000 lives across 13 plan options. What sets Bestmed apart from virtually every other scheme of its size is that it self-administers — there is no external administrator taking a fee. Bestmed is the largest self-administered medical scheme in the country.
QUICK FACTS
Founded
Became Open Scheme
Principal Members
Beneficiaries
Market Position
Number of Plans
Average Member Age
Administration
1964 (as SOMS — Statutory Medical Scheme)
1990
~120 000
~250 000
4th largest open scheme in SA
13 options
37.3
Self-administered (no external administrator)
HISTORY
Growth Through Amalgamation
Bestmed has grown deliberately and steadily through a series of scheme amalgamations over the past decade:
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2013 — Amalgamation with Minemed Medical Scheme
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2013 — Amalgamation with Sappi Medical Scheme
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2020 — Amalgamation with Gemas Medical Scheme
Each amalgamation brought new members into the Bestmed fold and contributed to the scheme's consistent growth trajectory. Unlike some schemes that have grown through mergers driven by financial distress, Bestmed's amalgamations appear to reflect genuine consolidation by a scheme in a position of strength.
SELF-ADMINISTRATION
Why It Matters for Members
Most medical schemes in South Africa outsource their administration to one of a handful of large administrators — Discovery Health (Pty) Ltd, Momentum Health Solutions, or Medscheme. These administrators charge a fee for their services, which is funded from member contributions.
Bestmed does not pay an external administrator. It manages its own operations, which means more of each rand contributed by members stays within the scheme rather than flowing out to a third party. For members focused on value for money, this structural difference is worth understanding.
WELLNESS
Bestmed's Tempo Wellness Programme takes a deliberately different approach to the rewards-heavy models of Discovery Vitality and Momentum Multiply. Tempo is offered free to all members across all plan choices — there are no points to accumulate, no weekly fitness targets to hit, and no penalties for not engaging. The programme encourages better health without turning wellness into a performance metric. For members who find schemes like Vitality motivating, this may feel underwhelming. For members who find them stressful or inaccessible, Tempo is a refreshing alternative.