Hospital cash plan: cash paid to you for each day in hospital

A hospital cash plan pays you a fixed amount, usually R500 to R3 000, for every day you spend in hospital. The money goes to you, not the hospital, to cover lost wages, transport and family costs. It is not a medical aid and does not pay hospital bills. Across the market it starts from around R100 a month. Updated September 2026.

Get hospital cash plan quotes

Who it suits

A hospital cash plan suits people without a medical aid who want some money coming in during a hospital stay, and people with a medical aid who want to cover the wages they lose while admitted. It does not replace a medical aid, and no insurer on our panel may present it as one. It suits people between 18 and 64 who can pay a small monthly premium by debit order.

What the insurer will ask, and why

These are the questions on our form for hospital cash, with what the insurer does with each answer. Nothing here is optional guesswork: every question exists because a licensed insurer needs it to quote.

Who needs cover?
Daily cash benefit you want: Benefit level sets premium.
Monthly budget
Do you have a medical aid?: Buyers position hospital cash differently for those with and without a medical aid.
Do you already have a hospital cash plan?
Your date of birth: Age is the primary rating factor across every product.
Which province do you live in?: Regional risk and pricing tables.
Town or suburb (optional): Postal-code rating for short-term products; language and dialect hints for call centres.
What best describes your work situation?: Affordability and, for income products, insurability.
Do you have a bank account you can pay from by debit order?: Collection method.

Questions people ask

Does it pay my hospital bill?

No. It pays you a daily cash amount. The bill is paid by your medical aid if you have one, or by you if you do not.

Is there a waiting period?

Usually three months for illness and twelve months for a condition you already had. Accidents are typically covered from the first day.

How do I choose a daily amount?

Think about what a day in hospital costs your household in lost income and travel. R1 000 a day is the most common choice on our form.

Olvian is a marketing and lead-referral service. We are not a licensed financial services provider, we do not give advice, and we do not sell insurance.