Our website is best
viewed in portrait

Annual medical screenings are a proactive way to manage your health. Screenings can help you take measures to prevent chronic disease, which helps save you money on healthcare consultations from your pocket, medical savings or day-to-day benefits. Screenings also help detect chronic diseases early, which increases your chances of successful treatment and recovery if you are diagnosed.

Bestmed Medical Scheme is truly a Personally Yours medical aid, as it offers several screenings as part of the Scheme’s Tempo wellness programme, as well as preventative care benefits, at no extra cost to you.

Tempo Lifestyle Screening

The Tempo Lifestyle Screening forms part of Bestmed’s Tempo wellness programme. Tempo benefits are free to all members, 16 years and older, regardless of your medical aid option. The Tempo Lifestyle Screening includes the Tempo Lifestyle Questionnaire, as well as a biometric screening, which includes blood pressure, height, weight, glucose and cholesterol checks at a Bestmed contracted pharmacy clinic. You can also complete your annual screening at a selected Tempo partner biokineticist, dietitian or general practitioner (GP).

The Tempo Lifestyle Questionnaire can help your healthcare practitioner understand if you’re at an increased risk of chronic disease due to an unhealthy lifestyle, or other reasons, such as a hereditary chronic disease.

The blood pressure check is important to detect high blood pressure (hypertension), which could lead to heart disease, kidney disease and/or stroke if left untreated. Furthermore, the glucose check is important for the prevention or early diagnosis of diabetes, while the cholesterol check helps to detect high cholesterol (also known as hyperlipidaemia), which could lead to a heart attack and/or stroke if not treated.

Once you’ve completed the Tempo Lifestyle Screening, you have access to two consultations each with a Tempo dietitian and biokineticist to help you with your nutritional and physical wellbeing.

Preventative care benefits

At Bestmed, preventative care benefits are paid from Scheme risk and not from your pocket, medical savings or day-to-day benefits. The Scheme’s preventative care benefits include (dependent on your chosen medical aid option) glaucoma screenings, mammograms, pap smears, PSA screenings, colon cancer screenings, HIV rapid tests and bone densitometry tests.

Glaucoma screenings

Glaucoma is an incurable chronic eye disease, that’s often hereditary. Tunnel vision and eventual blindness can be prevented if it’s diagnosed and treated early. Pressure increases in the eye due to fluid build-up, which may lead to optic nerve deterioration over a long period. Blind spots can develop within your field of vision. It can also occur with normal pressure.

Bestmed offers glaucoma screenings once every 12 months to members (50 years and older) as a preventative care benefit. The benefit is subject to the Scheme’s contracted Optometrist Network only and is available on Pace2, Pace3 and Pace4.

Glaucoma is on the Chronic Disease List (CDL) of conditions for which medical aids must cover the diagnosis, medical management and medicines as published by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS).

Mammograms

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in South Africa, though it can affect men too. Early detection and diagnosis can lead to successful treatment and recovery. One of the best ways to detect breast cancer is a mammogram, which is an X-ray of your breast. Mammograms are available on all Bestmed benefit options to women, 40 years and older. This benefit is available once every 24 months at Scheme tariff.

Pap smears

Cervical cancer, mostly caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), is the second most common cancer among South African women. HPV is the most common reproductive tract viral infection, usually transmitted through sexual intercourse.

HPV can be prevented via HPV vaccinations, which are available to all female Bestmed members from 9 to 26 years old across all medical aid options, except Rhythm1, as a preventative care benefit.

Pap smears can help to detect cervical cancer and are available to all female Bestmed members (18 years and older) once every 24 months, regardless of your chosen option. The test is available as a preventative care benefit. Your gynaecologist or GP consultation is paid from available savings or consultation benefit.

PSA screenings

A prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening is a blood test that measures PSA levels in men. A PSA is a protein produced by both normal and malignant (cancerous) cells. A PSA screening can help detect high PSA levels in the blood, which could be a sign of prostate cancer, or a benign (non-cancerous) condition such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostatitis.

Bestmed offers PSA screenings once every 24 months to all men 45 years and older as part of the Scheme’s preventative care benefits. Your consultation with a urologist or GP is paid from your available savings or consultation benefit, depending on your medical aid plan.

Colon cancer screening

Colon cancer is one of the top five types of cancer that affects both men and women in South Africa. Bestmed offers a colon cancer screening, also known as a faecal occult blood test (FOBT), once every 24 months to all Bestmed members 40 years and older. The FOBT looks for tiny traces of blood in a stool sample that can’t be seen with the naked eye. If diagnosed, Bestmed members have access to managed healthcare benefits through the medical aid’s Oncology care programme.

HIV rapid test

According to Statistics South Africa’s latest report (2024), about eight million South Africans, or 12.7% of the population, are living with HIV. This figure rises daily.

Although incurable, HIV is manageable with the right treatment. Bestmed offers HIV rapid tests to all members, regardless of your option. Voluntary testing and counselling are subject to Scheme protocols and funding guidelines.

Bone densitometry test

Bestmed members (age 45 and older) on Pace2, Pace3 and Pace4 have access to a bone densitometry test once every 24 months. The test is a type of X-ray, so it is quick and painless. It measures calcium and mineral levels in your bones to determine your risk of osteoporosis, which Bestmed lists as a non-CDL condition. Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens your bones, which could lead to breaks and fractures. Treatment is available to help prevent, slow or stop osteoporosis from progressing.

Take advantage of your screening benefits

Now that you are equipped with more knowledge of each of the health screenings available to you at no extra cost as a Bestmed member, take advantage of these benefits to help prevent and/or detect chronic disease early to receive the best treatment and increase your chances of full recovery.

References

CANSA. 2026. Cancer statistics: South African cancer statistics. Available [Online]: https://cansa.org.za/south-african-cancer-statistics/

CANSA. 2026. Cervical cancer. Available [Online]: https://cansa.org.za/cervical-cancer/.

Lee, C.B. (MD). 2025. Osteoporosis. In: VeryWell Health. Available [Online]: https://www.verywellhealth.com/osteoporosis-overview-4581909

Mediclinic. 2024. Mammograms: What are they and do I need one? Available [Online]: https://www.mediclinic.co.za/en/infohub-corporate/expertise/cancer/mammograms-what-are-they-and-do-i-need-one.html.

Mirabito, S. (RN, OCN). 2025. What is a bone density test? In: VeryWell Health. (Ed. Hershman, S. [MD]). Available [Online]: https://www.verywellhealth.com/bone-density-test-5525825#toc-purpose-of-a-bone-density-test.

National Cancer Institute. 2025. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. Available [Online]: https://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/psa-fact-sheet.

South African Government. 2026. Where can I find the latest HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa? Available [Online]: https://www.gov.za/faq/health/where-can-i-find-latest-hiv-and-aids-statistics-south-africa.

Total Risk Administrators. 2023. 5 of the most common cancers in South African women. Available [Online]: https://totalrisksa.co.za/the-5-most-common-cancers-in-south-african-women/

UNAIDS. 2025. South Africa charts a new frontier by rolling out a twice-yearly injection which is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV. Available [Online]: https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2025/october/20251024_south-africa.