# Medical aid and therapy in South Africa

> Which medical aids South African psychologists and counsellors name most often (October 2026, counts from 7 604 listings), what "claims from savings" means, and what to ask your scheme.

Published 2026-10-21.

Of the 7 604 psychologists, counsellors and psychometrists in this directory, **894 (12%) say on a profile that they work with medical aid**. Of those, 868 name at least one scheme, and 26 say they accept medical aid without naming one. The listings were collected in the week of 19 October 2026.

What a practitioner says on a profile does not tell you what your own plan will pay. Only your scheme can tell you that.

## The medical aids practitioners name

| Scheme named | Practitioners | Share of all listings |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| Discovery Health | 836 | 11% |
| Bonitas | 802 | 11% |
| Momentum | 745 | 10% |
| Fedhealth | 720 | 9% |
| GEMS | 710 | 9% |
| Any of the other 109 scheme names | 32 | under 1% |

114 scheme names appear in our data. The five named most often, Discovery Health, Bonitas, Momentum, Fedhealth and GEMS, are the only ones named on the 600 listings that come from Psychology Today alone. The other 109 names, spelled as each profile gives them, appear on 32 listings, and each of those has a RecoMed profile. A practitioner who works with a scheme may not name it, so if your scheme is not named, ask the practitioner.

## By category

| Category | Listed | Say they work with medical aid | Share |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Psychologists | 5 669 | 751 | 13% |
| Counsellors | 1 690 | 140 | 8% |
| Psychometrists | 245 | 3 | 1% |

In this directory, 13% of psychologists and 8% of counsellors say they work with medical aid. Medical aid cover for registered counsellors varies between schemes and plans, so ask your scheme about the specific practitioner.

## What "claims from savings" means

Many medical aid plans have a medical savings account. Part of your monthly contribution goes into it, and you use it for day-to-day costs such as doctor visits, medicine and, on many plans, therapy sessions.

When a session is "paid from savings", the money comes out of that account. It is your own money set aside in advance, not extra cover. Every session paid from savings leaves less for your other day-to-day costs that year. When the savings run out, you pay for day-to-day costs yourself, at least until your plan's next benefit starts, if it has one.

Some plans also pay for therapy from a separate benefit, which does not use your savings. Ask your scheme which applies to you.

## Other terms you may hear

- **Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs).** Conditions every scheme must cover under the Medical Schemes Act, whatever your plan. Some mental health conditions are on the list. Whether your sessions qualify depends on the diagnosis code and your scheme's rules.
- **Scheme rate.** The amount your scheme pays for a session. If the practitioner charges more, you pay the difference, called a co-payment or shortfall.
- **Pay and claim back.** Some practitioners ask you to pay them, and you claim from your scheme yourself. Others claim from the scheme directly.
- **Pre-authorisation.** Some schemes want you to get approval before treatment, or a referral. Ask before your first session.

## What to ask your scheme

Before you book, call your scheme or check your plan's benefit guide and ask:

1. Does my plan pay for sessions with a psychologist, or with a registered counsellor?
2. Does it pay from my savings, from a separate benefit, or as a PMB?
3. What rate does the scheme pay per session, and is there a limit on sessions per year?
4. Do I need a referral or pre-authorisation?

Then ask the practitioner what they charge, and whether they claim directly. [Psychologist fees in South Africa](/guides/psychologist-fees-south-africa-2026/) shows what practitioners publish: the median published fee for one session with a psychologist is R1 200, from 723 psychologists who publish a fee (October 2026).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which medical aids do South African psychologists accept?

In this directory, the schemes practitioners name most often are Discovery Health, Bonitas, Momentum, Fedhealth and GEMS (October 2026). Another 109 scheme names appear on 32 listings. A practitioner may not name every scheme they work with, so ask the practitioner if your scheme is not listed.

### What does "claims from savings" mean?

The session is paid from your medical savings account, which is part of your own contribution set aside for day-to-day costs. It reduces what is left for other day-to-day costs that year.

### Does medical aid pay for a registered counsellor?

It depends on the scheme and plan. Ask your scheme about the specific practitioner before you book.

### Is therapy a Prescribed Minimum Benefit?

Some mental health conditions are PMBs, which every scheme must cover. Whether your sessions qualify depends on the diagnosis code and your scheme's rules. Ask your scheme.

### Will my medical aid pay the full fee?

Not always. Your scheme pays its own rate. If the practitioner charges more, you pay the difference.

Canonical page: https://therapistsplug.com/guides/medical-aid-and-therapy-south-africa/. Compiled from public directory listings, October 2026. Every figure carries its n and month.