
RAF remains liable for medical expenses paid by schemes, SCA rules
The Court found that two later directives were issued as part of a ‘contrived stratagem’ to circumvent a binding judgment.

The Court found that two later directives were issued as part of a ‘contrived stratagem’ to circumvent a binding judgment.

The CMS’s 2025/26 annual report also highlights progress on a costed primary healthcare benefits package and research into linking administrator fees to outcomes.

Contributions will increase by between 7.5% and 8.5%, with Essential Copper introducing a lower-income band.

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.

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.

Most members will face increases of 7% or less, while the scheme is adding benefits in mental health, maternity, preventive care, and emergency treatment.

The scheme is pairing the increase with changes to Health4Me and a broader push into prevention, wellness, and digital healthcare.

The scheme is adding a R1 000 healthcare benefit, expanding preventative care, and making targeted changes to medicine, casualty, and clinical cover.

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 easing, but South Africa’s rate remains high – putting medical schemes under pressure to balance rising healthcare costs with affordability in 2027.

Parliamentary questions extend from fraud and outsourcing to trustee remuneration and benefit design, while the scheme’s reserves remain below the statutory requirement.

DENOSA says the lack of disclosure over Stan Moloabi’s suspension raises wider questions about the scheme’s leadership, accountability, and handling of member concerns.

Operational improvements have reduced the disruption, but short-paid and unpaid claims, tariff discrepancies, and difficult authorisations continue to require attention.

Discovery believes the legal challenges have shifted government’s thinking on NHI and created an opportunity to pursue a more workable path to universal health coverage.

Executives acknowledged the disruption caused by the June administrator switch while insisting the scheme’s long-term strategy remains on track.

As employers hand more responsibility for retirement and healthcare benefits to staff, the industry is rethinking how to balance freedom with better financial decisions.

The regulator has clarified the scope of its oversight of Bonitas, confirming that two separate regulatory processes are under way.