Will cutting minimum medical benefits really make cover cheaper?
The Board of Healthcare Funders wants a leaner PMB package, but the CMS points to provider prices, treatment costs, and other pressures on scheme expenditure.
#healthcarecosts
South Africa’s healthcare laws are stuck in 1998. AI isn’t waiting.
AI is reshaping healthcare and insurance, but outdated legislation, rising costs, and the need for trusted advice raise questions about how far technology can go.
I-GEMS ijonge ukunciphisa imirhumo kwixesha elizayo emva kokuba i-CMS isikhabile isicelo sayo
Esi sicwangciso sithi ulondolozo oluqikelelwa kwi-R1.7 yeebhiliyoni lunokunceda ekuthomalaliseni ukunyuka kwamaxabiso kwixesha elizayo, ngelixa kulungiselelwa iingxoxo ezinzulu nemibutho yabasebenzi.
Bonitas raises contributions by 8.7% as new service model takes shape
Four months after a troubled administrator switch, Bonitas is betting on new products, tighter managed care, and a stronger digital offering to rebuild member value and trust.
Discovery Health’s 2027 plans: 8.2% average increase and a new option
Two out of three beneficiaries will face increases below 8%, while Discovery is adding a new lower-cost plan and expanding its personalised health platform.
Medihelp sets 7.5% weighted average increase for 2027
Most members will face increases of 7% or less, while the scheme is adding benefits in mental health, maternity, preventive care, and emergency treatment.
Momentum Medical Scheme to raise contributions by 7.9%
The scheme is pairing the increase with changes to Health4Me and a broader push into prevention, wellness, and digital healthcare.
Bestmed sets 2027 contributions to increase by 7.35%
The scheme is adding a R1 000 healthcare benefit, expanding preventative care, and making targeted changes to medicine, casualty, and clinical cover.
BHF: CMS’s contribution guidance could create unrealistic expectations
The industry body says the 3.8% benchmark does not fully reflect the utilisation and underlying healthcare-cost pressures that schemes face.
Global medical cost growth is cooling. Why isn’t South Africa’s?
Global medical cost growth is easing, but South Africa’s rate remains high – putting medical schemes under pressure to balance rising healthcare costs with affordability in 2027.
GEMS faces scrutiny over costs, governance, and reserves
Parliamentary questions extend from fraud and outsourcing to trustee remuneration and benefit design, while the scheme’s reserves remain below the statutory requirement.
GEMS targets future contribution relief after CMS setback
The scheme says R1.7 billion in projected savings could moderate future increases as it prepares for robust talks with organised labour.
CMS rejects GEMS bid to cut 2026 contribution increase as unions demand answers
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.
Mental health is reshaping the chronic disease equation
New findings suggest emotional well-being now plays a growing role in whether patients with diabetes, cancer, and heart disease stay stable and out of hospital.
Not just inflation: the demographic shift driving medical scheme hikes
Shrinking younger membership is intensifying an ageing risk pool, pushing contributions higher even when hospital use is flat.
Parliament flags slow progress on Health Market Inquiry reforms
The CMS cites statutory constraints, while the Portfolio Committee on Health calls for a clear roadmap to implement the Inquiry’s recommendations.
Medical scheme vs medical insurance: the risk conversation advisers can’t avoid
In this edition of Cover to Cover, we unpack the structural, regulatory, and underwriting differences that advisers must clarify before recommending either healthcare funding option.
