At those moments, good cover matters enormously. So does being able to reach someone who listens, explains what is covered, and helps you take the next step. But if we judge a medical aid plan only by how it responds to illness, we overlook much of the time people spend trying to remain healthy.
Says Varsha Vala, CEO and principal officer at Medihelp Medical Scheme: “The best medical aid for South Africans in 2027 will still need the fundamentals: a financially stable scheme, a plan suited to the care they are likely to need, manageable out-of-pocket costs, and access to doctors and hospitals they can use. It should also deliver excellent service, giving members and advisers the support they need. However, the more interesting question is what a scheme helps its members do between claims.”
Can it help you discover that your blood pressure is high before it becomes a crisis? Can it make it easier to manage a chronic condition? After a hospital stay, is there support for the recovery journey at home? And can it help you build habits that fit your actual life?
Answering these questions means looking at more than screenings, steps, and exercise goals. It means considering the difference between wellness and well-being.
“We often use wellness and well-being as though they mean the same thing. It is useful to draw a distinction,” says Vala. “Wellness is about the actions we take to support our health: going for a walk, getting a screening, improving sleep, or following a treatment plan. Well-being is broader. It includes how we feel, how we cope, our relationships, our sense of purpose, and whether we have the time and space to care for ourselves.”
A person can be active and still feel exhausted. They can know exactly what healthy eating looks like and struggle to afford it. They can collect impressive fitness statistics while feeling disconnected or overwhelmed. Health cannot be reduced to a set of targets on an app.
This is why a better conversation about well-being has room for stillness as well as movement. Breathing, relaxation, body awareness, and rest may be what someone needs on a particular day. Support should allow people to pay attention to themselves without making every quiet moment another performance goal.
“For medical schemes, this is a useful challenge. Screenings and digital tools can help members understand their health and take action, but they should fit into a wider understanding of the person using them. A prompt to move more might be helpful. So might permission to slow down, seek support, or speak to a healthcare professional,” Vala adds.
Even comprehensive benefits can be difficult to use if people cannot get clear answers or timely assistance. Service shapes how confidently members navigate their cover, whether they are checking a benefit, arranging authorisation, or trying to understand a claim.
“Members deserve to be treated with care and respect, to receive accurate information, and to have their enquiries followed through to resolution. Advisers deserve responsive, knowledgeable support so that they can guide their clients with confidence,” says Vala. “The best medical aid should make it easier for both. Excellent service means listening, taking ownership, and recognising that behind every enquiry is a person who needs assistance.”
“As South Africans compare their 2027 options, they should ask how a plan works in ordinary life as well as in an emergency. Check its benefits, provider networks, medicine rules, co-payments, and the scheme’s financial position. Consider how easily you and your adviser can get assistance, how clearly the scheme communicates, and how it resolves concerns. Then ask what support is available before a health concern becomes serious, while managing an ongoing condition, and after treatment,” says Vala.
“That support should be practical. A screening has value when a member understands the result and knows what to do next. A wellness tool is more useful when it helps someone make a realistic change than when it simply counts another activity. A post-hospital programme matters because recovery continues beyond the hospital doors.
“At Medihelp, this thinking informs the support we offer members through screenings and health tests, chronic care programmes, and post-hospital care. Selected features from the digital wellness companion Fitt are also planned for integration into the Medihelp app, giving members more ways to engage with their health and well-being in daily life. Fitt’s wider offering includes personalised wellness guidance, activity challenges, workouts, and content that supports both movement and mental well-being.”
None of these replaces appropriate medical care. Their purpose is to help members take a more active role in their health, with support at different points along the way. Accessible, caring service helps connect that support to the people who need it.
“Perhaps the question for 2027 is not simply, ‘What will my medical aid pay for if I become ill?’ It is also, ‘How will it help me live well before that happens – and can I count on the cover, care, and service I deserve when life does not go to plan?’” Vala concludes.
