Bonitas Approved the Surgery — Not the Consequences

I am writing this review out of absolute frustration, anger, and disbelief at the service I have received from Bonitas Medical Aid.

My partner and I signed up with Bonitas in February this year via Curemed. At the time, there was already a great deal of negative publicity and criticism surrounding Bonitas, but we chose to sign up regardless, believing that the service would be better than that of its competitors. We signed up in good faith, trusting that when a real medical emergency occurred, Bonitas would do what medical aids are meant to do: support their members.

During the application process, we fully disclosed my partner’s complete medical history, including a cardiologist appointment that had already been booked in 2024. Our membership was approved with a three-month general waiting period, and we were explicitly advised that PMB conditions would not be affected.

On 25 March, my partner attended his cardiologist appointment and was booked for an urgent angiogram within 24 hours due to the immediate risk of a heart attack. Bonitas approved the angiogram. The following day, it was confirmed that he required a triple bypass, which Bonitas also approved.

During the surgery, my partner suffered serious complications, developed an infection, and ended up on a ventilator for nine days instead of the expected 24 hours. To identify and treat the infection, doctors were forced to run multiple scans, X-rays, and medical tests. These were not optional, elective, or avoidable tests — they were medically necessary, directly linked to an authorised, life-saving procedure.

Bonitas has now refused to pay for these tests, hiding behind a waiting period.

This makes absolutely no sense. How does a waiting period suddenly apply after Bonitas authorised the very surgery that caused the complications? How do you approve a bypass but refuse to cover the medically required investigations that follow as a direct result of that surgery?

I have explained this repeatedly and can provide full timelines, medical reports, and supporting documentation. Despite this, Bonitas continues to deny responsibility, leaving us with hospital bills we simply cannot afford.

The emotional, financial, and mental toll this has taken on us is immense. We trusted Bonitas at one of the most vulnerable moments of our lives, and that trust has been completely broken. What was meant to be a safety net has instead become a source of ongoing stress, anxiety, and financial fear.

This experience has been shocking, traumatic, and deeply disappointing. People deserve to know what happens once the sales promises are over and when members actually need their medical aid to step up.