
CMS declines GEMS bid to cut 2026 contribution increase
The regulator has rejected the scheme’s proposal to reduce its weighted average contribution adjustment to 7.5%, leaving the existing 9.5% increase in place.

The regulator has rejected the scheme’s proposal to reduce its weighted average contribution adjustment to 7.5%, leaving the existing 9.5% increase in place.

Twenty years of industry data show that medical schemes have become increasingly dependent on scale, investment returns, and strong reserves to remain sustainable.

The comment comes amid a growing standoff between organised labour and GEMS after the scheme announced a 9.8% contribution increase for 2026.

The Board of Healthcare Funders and Discovery Health say the panel’s final report on FWA investigations rests on flawed methodology and the misinterpretation of data.