Sizwe Essential Copper:
in-and-out of hospital benefits (2025)

This page has overview information on: Costs, In-hospital, Out of Hospital and Medicine benefits for Sizwe Essential Copper. Please consult and verify with the scheme or your broker for full benefits, and an explanation of all the "fine print".

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Terminology:

• PMBs: Prescribed Minimum Benefits. You can read more about PMBs, see a list of all PMB conditions or read more what "PMB only" benefit means.
• DSPs: Designated Service Provders. Where stipulated, you must use specific specific providers to get full benefit.
• Co-payment: Paid out of pocket, or out of savings account. Sometimes this is refundable to you if you have a gap product
• All schemes have extensive exclusions. We've tried to list the non-common ones here, but please consult your scheme or broker to get the full list.

In-hospital Procedures (2025):

(Other benefits: Costs | Inhospital | Out of hospital | Medication | Maternity | Cancer | Mental Health | Dentistry | Optometry | Other/Extra Benefits | Wellness | Prosthetics)

Sizwe: Essential Copper
Assume scheme pays all these costs, at 100% scheme rate, unless otherwise stated
GPs and Specialists:	100% scheme rate.	Gap Cover: Can push payout up to 700% scheme rate (Plans coming soon)
Hospital Choice:	Network Hospital
Penalty for using other hospital:	non-network hospitals: 30% penalty	Gap Cover: Can cover the penalty in full (Plans coming soon)
Co-payments:	. Note: A co-payment is a fee your medical aid can insist you pay, regardless of how much the doctor/charges. It's not the same as an "excess" payment (which is when a doctor charges more than the medical aid rate). If you use a DSP (designated service provider), you never have to pay a co-payment for protocol treatment of a PMB (Prescribed Minimum Benefit). More info here There might be other co-payments if you don't use a DSP, especially if you are being treated for a PMB or when buying medicine.	Gap Cover: Can cover most co-payments (Plans coming soon)
Specialised Radiology:	PMBs only	Gap Cover: Can cover most co-payments and increase sublimits (Plans coming soon)
Scopes:	PMBs only	Gap Cover: Can cover most co-payments and increase sublimits (Plans coming soon)
Supplementary Services: (Physio, etc)	PMBs only
Transplants:	PMBs only
Dialysis:	PMBs only
Exclusions:	. NB: See scheme's rules for all exclusions. All schemes have plenty!	Gap Cover: Coming soon
Alternatives to hospitals:	Rehab facilities: PMBs only, Private nursing: PMBs only Step-down facilities: PMBs only
Casualty/ER:	PMBs only	Gap Cover: Can cover ER claims (Plans coming soon)
Other:	This plan only covers hospital admissions for PMB conditions. It does not pay for elective surgery.
PMBs= Prescribed Minimum Benefits (more info) | DSP= Designated Service Provider

Out-of-hospital Procedures (2025):

(Other benefits: Costs | Inhospital | Out of hospital | Medication | Maternity | Cancer | Mental Health | Dentistry | Optometry | Other/Extra Benefits | Wellness | Prosthetics)

Sizwe: Essential Copper
Assume scheme pays all these costs, at 100% scheme rate, unless otherwise stated
Main Member: Adult: Child: Savings (per year): No savings account option on this plan The scheme might still cover some or all day-to-day claims. See below, and see benefits. Other Day-to-Day Funds:
PMBs out of hospital:	All schemes must pay for the diagnosis, treatment and management of all PMB conditions, in or out of hospital. You can see a full list of the conditions here. This can include consults with specialists, blood or other tests, radiology and medicine PMB benefits must never be paid from your savings account Schemes usually impose the use of specific providers for treatment of PMBs. Read more about that here. See our Guide to PMBs for more information.
GP consultations:	DSP Network: Unlimited
Childcare:	Heart screening test Newborn hearing test Immunisations	Gap Cover: Can pay for child ER visits (Plans coming soon)
Specialists consultations:	Must be referred by GP and for PMBs only 3 consults per family
Pathology:	PMBs only
General radiology:	PMBs only
Specialised radiology:	PMBs only	Gap Cover: Can pay co-payments and increase sublimits (Plans coming soon)
Scopes:	PMBs only	Gap Cover: Can pay co-payments and increase sublimits (Plans coming soon)
Supplementary Services: (Physio, etc)	PMBs only
General Appliances:	R2,356 per family PMBs only
1.1. Hearing Aids:	See above
1.2. Wheelchairs:	See above
PMBs= Prescribed Minimum Benefits (more info) | DSP= Designated Service Provider

Medication Benefit (2025):

(Other benefits: Costs | Inhospital | Out of hospital | Medication | Maternity | Cancer | Mental Health | Dentistry | Optometry | Other/Extra Benefits | Wellness | Prosthetics)

Sizwe: Essential Copper
Assume scheme pays all these costs, unless otherwise stated
Main Member: Adult: Child: Savings (per year): No savings account option on this plan The scheme might still cover some or all day-to-day claims. See below, and see benefits. Other Day-to-Day Funds:
Chronic:	27 PMB conditions: Covered. You can see the full PMB list here. .
Acute (prescribed) medication:	From DSP GP: Unlimited From Pharmacy: R1,855 per person and R5,173 per family
Over-the-counter:	R781 per family and R105 per script
Birth Control:	R926 per family
On Discharge:	7 days supply
Biological:	PMBs only
View other benefits for this plan: In-hospital | Out-of-hospital | Medication | Maternity | Cancer | Mental Health | Dentistry | Optometry | Other/Extra Benefits | Wellness | Prosthetics You can also: Compare any two plans, side by side | View all the Sizwe plans, with costs and brief summary. Find all other open medical aid plans here.
PMBs= Prescribed Minimum Benefits (more info) | DSP= Designated Service Provider