The doctor writes the script. The pharmacy doesn't have it. The claim goes in on paper. The patient calls to chase it. Every player is doing their job. The connections between them aren't. That's what ELMED fixes.
The Problem
SA healthcare isn't short of talent or technology. What's missing is a shared digital layer that connects the pieces. Right now every handoff is a gap where things get lost.
Still phoning the receptionist at 8am, hoping there's a slot. No online booking. No confirmation. Just a handwritten appointment card.
Doctor or receptionist faxes the prescription. Patient drives to the pharmacy. The script is unreadable. Or it went to the wrong pharmacy. Or both.
Doctor submits an 8.5 claim form. Medical aid receives it weeks later. Requests more documents. Rejects on a technicality. Patient calls to follow up.
Scheme administrators review paper claims with no real-time visibility into what their members are receiving, which pharmacies are dispensing, or what's being prescribed.
Every month the patient drives to collect chronic medication. No stock check. No delivery option. No notification when it's ready.
Patients find out they've hit their day-to-day benefit limit at the pharmacy counter. No warning. No real-time balance. Just an awkward conversation.
Every player in this chain is doing their job: the doctor, the pharmacist, the medical aid administrator, the patient. The system connecting them hasn't kept up. That's what ELMED fixes.
How ELMED Works
ELMED doesn't replace your practice management software, your medical aid's systems, or your pharmacy's POS. It sits in between and makes them talk to each other for the first time.
Patient
Books, tracks, manages claims
Doctor
Prescribes digitally, invoices automatically
ELMED
The connection layer
Pharmacy
Receives scripts, dispenses, manages copays
Medical Aid schemes connect here too: claims, pre-auths, copays, benefit data
ELMED has an API and webhook layer. If you run GoodX or Elixir, we connect to it. You don't change your workflow.
Scripts route into your dispense queue. Your counter software stays. ELMED adds the digital layer on top.
Schemes get a portal inside ELMED. Claims land there digitally. Their internal systems don't need to change on day one.
ELMED works with any scheme. Members add their details once. Claims are submitted automatically from that point on.
Book a doctor, get your script sent directly to your pharmacy, order medicine to your door, and track your medical aid claims in real time. One account covers your whole family.
GP, specialist, dentist, mental health practitioner. Video or in-person. Choose a time and confirm in under a minute.
Set your preferred pharmacy once. Every script your doctor writes is sent there automatically. Collect or get it delivered.
Your claim is submitted the moment your consultation is complete. Track approval status, check your benefit balance, and see exactly what you owe.
Add kids, a spouse, elderly parents. Book on their behalf, manage their scripts, and see their health history separately from yours.
Dr Aisha Mahomed, video call today 14:30
ConfirmedAmoxicillin 500mg, sent to Apius Pharmacy
Ready for collectionDiscovery Health, R450 consultation
Under reviewR1 240 remaining of R3 200 annual limit
38% usedList your practice free. Write digital prescriptions with ICD-10 codes. Scripts route to the patient's pharmacy automatically. Your invoice is generated. Your medical aid claim is submitted. You get on with the next patient.
Patients book directly. You set your availability once. No receptionist needed for scheduling.
No more prescription pads. No faxing. No lost scripts. Write the prescription, choose the pharmacy, done.
When you complete a consultation, ELMED generates the invoice and submits the medical aid claim. No extra steps.
A branded site with your bio, services, patient reviews, and a booking button. Custom domain included.
Already running practice management software? The integration plan gives you API and webhook access to connect them.
4 appointments confirmed, 1 pending
Next: 10:00, T. MolefeMetformin 850mg x 60, Apius Pharmacy Paarl
Delivered to queueDiscovery Health, R650, ICD-10: E11.9
Submitted automaticallyDiscovery liable: R520. Patient liable: R130
Sent to patientWhen patients set you as their preferred pharmacy, every script their doctor writes lands in your dispense queue automatically. No faxes. No calls. Just a digital queue and a patient who already knows their medicine is ready.
Digital scripts arrive in your queue the moment a doctor prescribes. No faxes, no phone calls, no deciphering handwriting.
11,498 SA medicines pre-loaded with NAPPI codes. List your stock, take online orders, and offer delivery. No separate website needed.
Dispense against a script and the copay flows straight to the relevant scheme's portal. No manual reconciliation at month end.
A full pharmacy website with your hours, services, team, and product catalogue. Apius Pharmacy is live on apiuspharmacy.co.za today.
Connect iKhokha, PayFast, or Yoco. Customers pay directly into your bank account. ELMED never touches patient payments on any plan.
New prescription routed
Amoxicillin 500mg x 21
Patient: T. Molefe, Dr Mahomed
12 prescriptions
14 copays, R2 840 total
Submitted to schemeR 4,280 across 17 transactions
+23% vs last weekFor Medical Aid Schemes
The biggest friction in SA healthcare isn't in the consulting room. It's in the space between the consultation and the claim. ELMED closes that gap and gives your scheme a real-time view of what's happening with your members.
What schemes deal with today
Claims arrive by post, fax, and email. Administrators capture them manually. Errors creep in. Processing takes weeks. Members call to follow up.
You find out what your members received after the fact, from a paper claim. No live view of who is seeing which doctor or what is being prescribed.
Every pre-auth is a phone call. Doctors wait. Patients wait. Your call centre handles volume that should be digital.
They find out they've hit their limit at the pharmacy counter. Then they call you. Every one of those calls is an avoidable cost.
What ELMED gives your scheme
Your administrators log into ELMED and manage claims, pre-authorisation requests, copays, and benefit limits. All in one place. Claims arrive digitally the moment a consultation is complete.
See which doctors are consulting, which medicines are being prescribed, and which pharmacies are dispensing. Live. Not weeks later from a paper pile.
Doctors submit pre-auth requests through ELMED. Your team approves or queries in the portal. No phone calls. Faster for everyone.
Every ELMED patient can check their day-to-day balance and claim history in real time. Fewer calls to your helpline. Better member experience with no effort from your side.
We've built the portal. Scheme administrators can log in and manage their members' claims today. Direct API connections to scheme back-end systems are on the roadmap and being scoped with interested schemes. We're not claiming to have replaced anyone's infrastructure. We're building the bridge from the clinical side, and we want to build it with you, not around you.
Talk to us about your schemePricing
Start on the free Listed plan. Upgrade when you need a microsite, your own payment gateway, or API access.
No monthly fee. No transaction fees.
Doctors and specialists. Pharmacies from R1 799/mo.
Doctors. Pharmacies from R699/mo.
All prices exclude VAT. Billed monthly via EFT. No lock-in. Cancel any time.
Why ELMED
Built in SA, hosted in SA, priced in Rands. Every feature is designed around the South African healthcare system: HPCSA, NAPPI codes, medical aid schemes.
Your health data stays in South Africa. We follow POPIA and store all records with full encryption at rest and in transit.
Every doctor submits their HPCSA registration number before going live. You always know you're dealing with a qualified, registered practitioner.
ELMED supports Discovery, Bonitas, GEMS, Momentum, Medihelp, and more. Members add their details once and claims are handled from there.
Full web platform and a mobile app for iOS and Android. Patients manage their health from their phone. Providers manage their practice from anywhere.
ELMED will never charge patients to access their healthcare. The patient side is free, and it stays that way.
Questions
Right now, ELMED gives schemes a portal. Scheme administrators log in and manage claims, pre-auths, and copays digitally instead of on paper. Claims arrive the moment a consultation is complete. No faxing, no waiting. Direct API connections to scheme back-end systems are in development. We're building that with interested schemes, not unilaterally.
No. Medical aids have their own member apps and internal systems, and that's fine. ELMED isn't an alternative to those. We're the clinical layer that connects the doctor visit, the prescription, and the pharmacy dispense, then routes the claim data to wherever the scheme wants it. We work alongside existing systems, not instead of them.
Yes. Creating an account, booking doctors, tracking prescriptions, and managing medical aid claims are all free for patients. You only pay for the actual consultation or medicine, not for using the platform.
No. ELMED works whether you have medical aid or not. You can pay for consultations and medicine directly. If you do have medical aid, claims are submitted automatically.
Integration plan providers get full API and webhook access to connect ELMED to any practice management software. Direct GoodX and Elixir connectors are being built. Contact us if you need this now.
Submit your HPCSA number when you register. Verification takes 24 to 48 hours. Once approved, patients can find and book you immediately. No setup fee.
Yes, on all plans. Connect your iKhokha, PayFast, or Yoco account. Customers pay you directly and ELMED never sits in the middle of those payments. Your subscription fee covers platform access, not your income.
Yes. The ELMED mobile app is live for iOS and Android. Patients can book doctors, view prescriptions, track orders, manage medical aid, and add family members from their phone.
Whether you're a patient, a doctor, a pharmacist, or a scheme administrator, there's a place for you on ELMED.
Free account. Book a doctor, manage scripts, track your medical aid claims.
Create Free AccountList your practice free. Go fully digital in under 24 hours.
List Your PracticeGet prescriptions routed directly to your counter. Online from day one.
Register PharmacyLet's talk about connecting your scheme to the ELMED network.
Get in TouchNo credit card. No lock-in. Questions? hello@elmed.healthcare