Insurance & Medical Aid · Support
Bestmed Provider Contact Details
All Insurance & Medical Aid contactsComplaints & escalation
Healthcare providers reach Bestmed on the provider contact centre, 086 000 2378, or at service@bestmed.co.za, and the Service Providers Department is on 012 472 6033. Each provider network also has its own mailbox, listed in the table below, so a practice can send a query straight to the team that handles it. Members looking for a network doctor use the same contact centre or the Bestmed app.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not Bestmed Medical Scheme and cannot check a claim, a practice’s network status or a member’s benefits. The routes above come from the Healthcare Providers resources section of bestmed.co.za and related articles, read on 16 September 2026.
Bestmed provider contact details at a glance
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| General provider enquiries: benefits, claims and queries | 086 000 2378, service@bestmed.co.za |
| Service Providers Department | 012 472 6033 |
| Rhythm GP and dental network | rhythmnetworks@bestmed.co.za |
| Bestmed GP, dental, ancillary and service networks | providers@bestmed.co.za |
| Specialist network (DSP) | specialists@bestmed.co.za |
| Hearing aid authorisations | hearingaidauth@bestmed.co.za |
| Hospital authorisation | 080 022 0106, authorisations@bestmed.co.za |
| Chronic medicine applications and prescription changes | medicine@bestmed.co.za, fax 012 472 6760 |
| Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB) applications | pmb@bestmed.co.za, fax 012 472 6760 |
| Provider escalations | escalations@bestmed.co.za |
Bestmed also offers a walk-in facility at Block A, Glenfield Office Park, 361 Oberon Avenue, Faerie Glen, Pretoria, 0081, for providers and members who prefer to sort a query out in person.
The Bestmed provider portal and the Service Providers Department number
The provider page prints 012 472 6033 as the Service Providers Department number, but the link behind it on the site dials a different number, so if 012 472 6033 does not connect, use the contact centre on 086 000 2378.
Bestmed also runs an online provider portal, reached through the Healthcare provider login on bestmed.co.za, where a practice can look up recent claims, correspondence, calls made to Bestmed and member details. A step-by-step guide on getting a portal password is linked from the same resources page.
What to have ready when a practice contacts Bestmed
Have the practice number, the patient’s Bestmed membership number, the beneficiary’s name and date of birth, the date of service and the ICD-10 code ready. Bestmed says an ICD-10 code is compulsory on all medicine applications and prescriptions.
For a scan (CT, MRI or PET), Bestmed also asks for the referring specialist’s and radiologist’s names and practice numbers, the reason for the scan and the tariff codes. Scans must be pre-authorised, and in an emergency admission the authorisation must be obtained within 48 hours or on the first working day afterwards.
Finding a Bestmed network doctor or specialist
A member looking for a network provider should know their option first. Bestmed’s family practitioner preferred provider network covers about 4 200 practices and its specialist designated service provider network more than 2 600, and the details of both are in the Bestmed mobile app. Bestmed’s network options are built around these network providers, and using a provider outside a designated network can leave the member paying a co-payment, so check before booking.
A member who cannot find a specialist in the designated network nearby can ask the contact centre on 086 000 2378 to locate the nearest one. If none is available, Bestmed says an out-of-network specialist will be authorised.
Bestmed applications, maternity cases and provider escalations
Send chronic medicine applications and changed prescriptions to medicine@bestmed.co.za, and Prescribed Minimum Benefit applications, signed by both member and provider, to pmb@bestmed.co.za. Both can also be faxed to 012 472 6760. Bestmed emails both the practice and the member with the outcome. Maternity cases go to maternity@bestmed.co.za.
Hospital admissions need authorisation before the stay: call 080 022 0106 or email authorisations@bestmed.co.za, and hearing aid authorisations go to hearingaidauth@bestmed.co.za.
If a response from the ordinary routes does not resolve the matter, escalate to escalations@bestmed.co.za with the practice number, the member number and your earlier reference.
Bestmed complaints, disputes and the fraud hotline
Disputes and complaints can be posted to Complaints at Bestmed Medical Scheme, P.O. Box 2297, Pretoria 0001. Bestmed asks that the escalation process be followed in order, because it gives the quickest response. If Bestmed does not resolve the complaint, the Council for Medical Schemes takes it on 0861 123 267 or complaints@medicalschemes.co.za.
To report fraud or unethical conduct by a member, provider or employee, use the independent Bestmed Ethics and Fraud Hotline: toll-free 0800 111 627 or bestmed@behonest.co.za, available 24 hours a day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bestmed provider contact number?
The provider contact centre is 086 000 2378 for benefits, claims and general provider queries. The Service Providers Department is on 012 472 6033, and hospital authorisations are handled on 080 022 0106.
Which Bestmed email address should a practice use?
Use service@bestmed.co.za for general provider enquiries and escalations@bestmed.co.za when an earlier response did not resolve the matter. Each network has its own mailbox too: rhythmnetworks@bestmed.co.za for the Rhythm GP and dental network, providers@bestmed.co.za for the GP, dental, ancillary and service networks, and specialists@bestmed.co.za for the specialist network.
How do I get a Bestmed provider portal password?
Log in through the Healthcare provider login on bestmed.co.za. Bestmed links a step-by-step guide on getting a portal password from its Healthcare Providers resources page.
How do I get a hospital admission or scan authorised with Bestmed?
Call 080 022 0106 or email authorisations@bestmed.co.za. Scans (CT, MRI or PET) must be pre-authorised, and in an emergency admission the authorisation must be obtained within 48 hours or on the first working day afterwards.
Sources
- bestmed.co.za: Healthcare Providers resources and contacts, read 16 September 2026
- bestmed.co.za: Search for a provider in your area, FAQs about Designated Service Providers, and the Ethics and Fraud Hotline page, read 16 September 2026
- medicalschemes.co.za published contact details