Based on recent customer reviews, Profmed Medical Scheme is drawing sustained criticism from long standing professional members. Emails to claims, chronic medication and pharmacy benefit teams reportedly go unanswered for weeks, with automated acknowledgements replacing real feedback. Members describe dropped calls, repeated escalations without resolution, incorrect Profmed Wallet statements and a mobile app that blocks logins and membership card access. Pre-authorisation outcomes, hospital plan exclusions and declined procedures raise questions about benefit clarity. One standout exception praised the Psychology Department for waiving a waiting period and going out of its way.
Replied to 50% of negative reviews
Reply time on negative reviews: 91h 47m
TrustIndex
2.6
Ranking
#13
in Medical Aid
Reply Time
403h 5m
NPS Score
-43
Recommended: Unlikely
Replied to 50% of negative reviews
Reply time on negative reviews: 91h 47m
Dec '25 - Nov '26
Frequently Asked Questions About Profmed Medical Scheme
What do customers say about Profmed Medical Scheme?
Based on recent customer reviews, Profmed Medical Scheme is drawing sustained criticism from long standing professional members. Emails to claims, chronic medication and pharmacy benefit teams reportedly go unanswered for weeks, with automated acknowledgements replacing real feedback. Members describe dropped calls, repeated escalations without resolution, incorrect Profmed Wallet statements and a mobile app that blocks logins and membership card access. Pre-authorisation outcomes, hospital plan exclusions and declined procedures raise questions about benefit clarity. One standout exception praised the Psychology Department for waiving a waiting period and going out of its way.
Is Profmed Medical Scheme trustworthy?
Profmed Medical Scheme has a TrustIndex of 2.6 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 13 reviews in the last 12 months. They reply to 50% of negative reviews, typically within 91 hours 47 min. Hellopeter has tracked Profmed Medical Scheme across 198 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (13)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Jul 2017
PATHETIC SERVICE.
I am trying to get preauthorisation for a procedure. We sent two emails yesterday. This morning I phoned and was on hold for more than 10 minutes. I tried the livechat on the web. Now I am their Whatsapp. No one is responding. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS. Why is this so complicated?
1 reviews | Active since Jul 2017
PATHETIC SERVICE.
I am trying to get preauthorisation for a procedure. We sent two emails yesterday. This morning I phoned and was on hold for more than 10 minutes. I tried the livechat on the web. Now I am their Whatsapp. No one is responding. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS. Why is this so complicated?
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2023
Profmed – Absolutely Disgusting Service to an 86-Year-Old Patient
Profmed – Absolutely Disgusting Service to an 86-Year-Old Patient Profmed, you call yourselves medical professionals, but based on the appalling service I experienced yesterday, I have to question just how professional you really are. My 86-year-old mother, who has been a member of Profmed for over 50 years, was admitted to Rosebank Clinic yesterday. She suffers from dementia and has fluid on her lungs. At her age and in her condition, the last thing our family should have to worry about is fighting with a medical aid for authorisation when she needs medical attention. Yet that is exactly what happened. Profmed refused to provide authorisation until the treating doctor had submitted a treatment plan. While I understand that medical aid schemes have procedures to follow, the way this situation was handled was absolutely unacceptable. We were shunted from pillar to post, with no proper assistance or consideration for the vulnerable elderly patient involved. I eventually had to lose my temper before anything was done, and only after approximately two hours was authorisation finally granted. To make matters worse, the doctor had arranged for my mother to have a CT scan. She had seen my mother at approximately 09:30, but we only received authorisation from Profmed after 14:00. As a result, my mother only underwent the scan at 17:00. How can you justify these delays when dealing with an 86-year-old woman with dementia and fluid on her lungs? Where is the compassion, urgency and patient care that one would expect from a medical aid scheme? Profmed has been receiving my mother's contributions for over 50 years, yet when she needed assistance, the service we received was nothing short of disgraceful. You are quick enough to collect your members' money, but when it comes to providing timely and efficient service, the experience was appalling. I am a Discovery member myself and have never experienced anything like this. Yesterday's experience with Profmed left me absolutely disgusted. No family should have to fight for hours to get authorisation for an elderly, vulnerable patient who is already unwell and in hospital. This is not what I would call a professional medical aid scheme. It is unacceptable that a family should have to spend precious time chasing authorisation instead of being there for their loved one. **I would never recommend Profmed to anyone based on this experience.** A medical aid scheme should provide peace of mind when its members are most vulnerable, not add unnecessary stress, frustration and delays to an already frightening situation. Profmed, I sincerely hope you take this complaint seriously and review how this matter was handled. Your members deserve better, and an 86-year-old woman who has supported your scheme for over five decades certainly deserved better than this. Absolutely appalling service.
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2023
Profmed – Absolutely Disgusting Service to an 86-Year-Old Patient
Profmed – Absolutely Disgusting Service to an 86-Year-Old Patient Profmed, you call yourselves medical professionals, but based on the appalling service I experienced yesterday, I have to question just how professional you really are. My 86-year-old mother, who has been a member of Profmed for over 50 years, was admitted to Rosebank Clinic yesterday. She suffers from dementia and has fluid on her lungs. At her age and in her condition, the last thing our family should have to worry about is fighting with a medical aid for authorisation when she needs medical attention. Yet that is exactly what happened. Profmed refused to provide authorisation until the treating doctor had submitted a treatment plan. While I understand that medical aid schemes have procedures to follow, the way this situation was handled was absolutely unacceptable. We were shunted from pillar to post, with no proper assistance or consideration for the vulnerable elderly patient involved. I eventually had to lose my temper before anything was done, and only after approximately two hours was authorisation finally granted. To make matters worse, the doctor had arranged for my mother to have a CT scan. She had seen my mother at approximately 09:30, but we only received authorisation from Profmed after 14:00. As a result, my mother only underwent the scan at 17:00. How can you justify these delays when dealing with an 86-year-old woman with dementia and fluid on her lungs? Where is the compassion, urgency and patient care that one would expect from a medical aid scheme? Profmed has been receiving my mother's contributions for over 50 years, yet when she needed assistance, the service we received was nothing short of disgraceful. You are quick enough to collect your members' money, but when it comes to providing timely and efficient service, the experience was appalling. I am a Discovery member myself and have never experienced anything like this. Yesterday's experience with Profmed left me absolutely disgusted. No family should have to fight for hours to get authorisation for an elderly, vulnerable patient who is already unwell and in hospital. This is not what I would call a professional medical aid scheme. It is unacceptable that a family should have to spend precious time chasing authorisation instead of being there for their loved one. **I would never recommend Profmed to anyone based on this experience.** A medical aid scheme should provide peace of mind when its members are most vulnerable, not add unnecessary stress, frustration and delays to an already frightening situation. Profmed, I sincerely hope you take this complaint seriously and review how this matter was handled. Your members deserve better, and an 86-year-old woman who has supported your scheme for over five decades certainly deserved better than this. Absolutely appalling service.
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2012
Profmed not so professional
On 6 August I requested proof of my contributions to Profmed as I require these for SARS. Numerous emails sent and resent, phone calls made and so far all I have had is automated responses. It floors me that the monthly contributions to medical schemes is one of our costliest monthly expenses and yet their client assistance is virtually non existent, they seem unable to provide a response to a very basic query. Interesting that I had to email a number of other organisations with the same query and received the assistance I needed within the hour. To date we have barely needed Profmed's medical services and I am relieved as I imagine they just don't have the capacity to provide assistance on any level. A very sleepy organisation that seems to function on ineptitude, and with the competition that is out there with so many medical schemes to choose from these days you would imagine they would make every effort to be more efficient and customer friendly
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2012
Profmed not so professional
On 6 August I requested proof of my contributions to Profmed as I require these for SARS. Numerous emails sent and resent, phone calls made and so far all I have had is automated responses. It floors me that the monthly contributions to medical schemes is one of our costliest monthly expenses and yet their client assistance is virtually non existent, they seem unable to provide a response to a very basic query. Interesting that I had to email a number of other organisations with the same query and received the assistance I needed within the hour. To date we have barely needed Profmed's medical services and I am relieved as I imagine they just don't have the capacity to provide assistance on any level. A very sleepy organisation that seems to function on ineptitude, and with the competition that is out there with so many medical schemes to choose from these days you would imagine they would make every effort to be more efficient and customer friendly
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2016
PROFMED - NANDIPHA AT PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT IS A SUPER STAR
I would like to give a very good compliment to Nandipha at the Psychology Department who handles the authorisation for Out of Hospital Treatment and Sessions with my Clinical Psychologist. She waived the Waiting Period as I moved from Bonitas to Profmed without any interruptions between medical aids. She went out of her way. She is simply the BEST.
1 reviews | Active since Feb 2016
PROFMED - NANDIPHA AT PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT IS A SUPER STAR
I would like to give a very good compliment to Nandipha at the Psychology Department who handles the authorisation for Out of Hospital Treatment and Sessions with my Clinical Psychologist. She waived the Waiting Period as I moved from Bonitas to Profmed without any interruptions between medical aids. She went out of her way. She is simply the BEST.
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2018
Request for Medical Advisory Board Rationale – Endoscopic vs Open Spinal Surgery
I will post the email i sent more than 3 weeks ago which they have not had the decency to respond to.... Good afternoon This is email is with regards to the pre-authorisation obtained for patient Mishke Buchanan (auth number:***) The initial authorisation for Unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) surgery at Mercantile Hospital was declined. I would like to know the exact reason why the medical advisory board declined authorisation for endoscopic approach but authorised an open procedure. Research clearly shows that performing an endoscopic approach for spinal decompression has less risk of infection, reduced bleeding rates and quicker recovery. By forcing the patient to undergo open surgery she is now having to endure severe pain, extended sick leave and a far longer road to recovery. I have been a member of Profmed for 10years and have generally been happy with the service received but I am struggling to understand the reason behind this decision. As the surgery was of an urgent nature and we did not want to prolong it any longer due to the severe pain my wife was in, we ended up accepting the decision and she underwent open spinal decompression yesterday. I have not managed to find any specific exclusion criteria on your website with regards to endoscopic spinal surgery. I do not believe it was declined based on the plan that I was on as the feedback from pre-auth was that “Profmed does not cover endoscopic spinal surgery”. Your website states verbatim "Profmed’s vision is to address the healthcare needs of South Africa’s professionals. This is achieved through the tailored and comprehensive design of benefits that suit the specific requirements of professionals”but your decision has now resulted in a professional attorney being unable to work for at least the next month most likely 6 weeks and increased her post op complications significantly. If the endoscopic procedure was declined purely based on operating costs involved, I would expect a tailored medical aid such as Profmed to look at the bigger picture in terms of : extended time in hospital, increased risk of complications, extended rehabilitation and prolonged time to return to work. These decisions should be based on evidence based medicine and what is best for the patient in terms of long term outcome. Should you continue with declining minimally invasive procedures, which is the direction that surgery is moving, you will find that you will end up having to cover far more medical costs in the long run with added complications and rehabilitation costs. I urgently await response from the medical advisory team as I would like to advocate for better decision-making with regards to minimally invasive procedures in the future. This has not only impacted my direct family but will impact the patients that myself and other doctors care for. Regards Dr Beth Buchanan (***9)
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2018
Request for Medical Advisory Board Rationale – Endoscopic vs Open Spinal Surgery
I will post the email i sent more than 3 weeks ago which they have not had the decency to respond to.... Good afternoon This is email is with regards to the pre-authorisation obtained for patient Mishke Buchanan (auth number:***) The initial authorisation for Unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) surgery at Mercantile Hospital was declined. I would like to know the exact reason why the medical advisory board declined authorisation for endoscopic approach but authorised an open procedure. Research clearly shows that performing an endoscopic approach for spinal decompression has less risk of infection, reduced bleeding rates and quicker recovery. By forcing the patient to undergo open surgery she is now having to endure severe pain, extended sick leave and a far longer road to recovery. I have been a member of Profmed for 10years and have generally been happy with the service received but I am struggling to understand the reason behind this decision. As the surgery was of an urgent nature and we did not want to prolong it any longer due to the severe pain my wife was in, we ended up accepting the decision and she underwent open spinal decompression yesterday. I have not managed to find any specific exclusion criteria on your website with regards to endoscopic spinal surgery. I do not believe it was declined based on the plan that I was on as the feedback from pre-auth was that “Profmed does not cover endoscopic spinal surgery”. Your website states verbatim "Profmed’s vision is to address the healthcare needs of South Africa’s professionals. This is achieved through the tailored and comprehensive design of benefits that suit the specific requirements of professionals”but your decision has now resulted in a professional attorney being unable to work for at least the next month most likely 6 weeks and increased her post op complications significantly. If the endoscopic procedure was declined purely based on operating costs involved, I would expect a tailored medical aid such as Profmed to look at the bigger picture in terms of : extended time in hospital, increased risk of complications, extended rehabilitation and prolonged time to return to work. These decisions should be based on evidence based medicine and what is best for the patient in terms of long term outcome. Should you continue with declining minimally invasive procedures, which is the direction that surgery is moving, you will find that you will end up having to cover far more medical costs in the long run with added complications and rehabilitation costs. I urgently await response from the medical advisory team as I would like to advocate for better decision-making with regards to minimally invasive procedures in the future. This has not only impacted my direct family but will impact the patients that myself and other doctors care for. Regards Dr Beth Buchanan (***9)
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2016
NO PROFESSIONALISM WHATSOEVER!!! /
I have been going back and forth with client services / pharmacy benefits for 60 days now. A claim was sent by Clicks Valleyview on the 10th of March and later reversed , this was confirmed by client services and pharmacy benefits. However my statement still doesn't reflect the correct amount 60 days later!!! Please sort this out . Calls get transferred then dropped, very rude and unprofessional service
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2016
NO PROFESSIONALISM WHATSOEVER!!! /
I have been going back and forth with client services / pharmacy benefits for 60 days now. A claim was sent by Clicks Valleyview on the 10th of March and later reversed , this was confirmed by client services and pharmacy benefits. However my statement still doesn't reflect the correct amount 60 days later!!! Please sort this out . Calls get transferred then dropped, very rude and unprofessional service
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2017
Profmed Bureaucratic Nightmare
A bureaucratic headache. I will be out of the country for 3 months so my doctor supp**** a prescription and noted on same that I needed 3 months of my chronic meds. I sent an email to claims@profmed 3 weeks prior to filling my prescription with copy of prescription attached, advising that I would be out of SA for 3 months. As Profmed did not have the courtesy to reply I assumed that all was well. However when attempting to obtain my meds from Dischem, the request was rejected. The very patient and helpful lady at Dischem then called Profmed and was transferred to the chronic section who advised her that I needed to fill out a form. I then asked to speak to the Profmed agent to find out why my email was not sufficient and why they had not responded. The agent refused to speak to me. The Dischem lady was then shuffled between 4 Profmed departments all of whom refused to speak to me but promised to send me the form. I then called the Profmed line and finally was connected after 3 tries. And after the tedious security questions, before I could voice my complaint, I was cut off. I then tried to find a way to register a complaint on the Profmed App. Another nightmare. Even though the App welcomed me by name, so presumably I was logged on, every time I tried to access a function it asked me to log on again and then decided that my logon credentials were wrong - they were not. In all a wasted journey to Dischem and three hours of my life lost. Never mind the stress of dealing with this. Profmed you are supposed to help people get better not to possibly make them ill through the stress of dealing with you. And now I have to find this form and send it. Who knows how long they will take to respond. Why extra paperwork. Why is the doctor's instruction on the prescription for 3 months med not sufficient. Pofmed you used to be really good to deal with but you have gone down hill. No doubt soon we will be dealing with a cold hearted AI Bot on the end of the line. You need to do better
1 reviews | Active since Apr 2017
Profmed Bureaucratic Nightmare
A bureaucratic headache. I will be out of the country for 3 months so my doctor supp**** a prescription and noted on same that I needed 3 months of my chronic meds. I sent an email to claims@profmed 3 weeks prior to filling my prescription with copy of prescription attached, advising that I would be out of SA for 3 months. As Profmed did not have the courtesy to reply I assumed that all was well. However when attempting to obtain my meds from Dischem, the request was rejected. The very patient and helpful lady at Dischem then called Profmed and was transferred to the chronic section who advised her that I needed to fill out a form. I then asked to speak to the Profmed agent to find out why my email was not sufficient and why they had not responded. The agent refused to speak to me. The Dischem lady was then shuffled between 4 Profmed departments all of whom refused to speak to me but promised to send me the form. I then called the Profmed line and finally was connected after 3 tries. And after the tedious security questions, before I could voice my complaint, I was cut off. I then tried to find a way to register a complaint on the Profmed App. Another nightmare. Even though the App welcomed me by name, so presumably I was logged on, every time I tried to access a function it asked me to log on again and then decided that my logon credentials were wrong - they were not. In all a wasted journey to Dischem and three hours of my life lost. Never mind the stress of dealing with this. Profmed you are supposed to help people get better not to possibly make them ill through the stress of dealing with you. And now I have to find this form and send it. Who knows how long they will take to respond. Why extra paperwork. Why is the doctor's instruction on the prescription for 3 months med not sufficient. Pofmed you used to be really good to deal with but you have gone down hill. No doubt soon we will be dealing with a cold hearted AI Bot on the end of the line. You need to do better
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2019
Useless online registration
Canceled my discovery plan to join them. Their useless online application system keeps giving errors and I'm told to restart the application
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2019
Useless online registration
Canceled my discovery plan to join them. Their useless online application system keeps giving errors and I'm told to restart the application