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.
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CMS explains why it rejected GEMS’s bid to lower contribution increase
The CMS argues that a 7.5% increase would have weakened GEMS’s financial sustainability and shifted costs to members in future.
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.
Was it really just Covid?
A review of five years of Medihelp’s annual reports traces the events behind the scheme’s fall below and its rise back above the statutory minimum.
Seven years of growth: What Bestmed’s numbers say about its sustainability
Membership, claims, reserves, and solvency all point to a strong year, but they also reveal the long-term pressures facing the scheme.
Bigger, older, and more concentrated: 7 facts reshaping medical schemes
Twenty years of industry data show that medical schemes have become increasingly dependent on scale, investment returns, and strong reserves to remain sustainable.
Sizwe Hosmed making substantial progress, says curator
An accelerated 19% contribution increase is designed to correct historic under-pricing and shore up reserves.
Medihelp to appeal contempt judgment in Elaprase case
Medihelp says it will challenge the judgment while the cost of Elaprase awaits a final decision by the CMS Appeal Board.
Medihelp limits 2026 contribution increases to as low as 6%
New benefits, flexibility, and holistic well-being support strengthen Medihelp’s role as a healthcare partner, not just a funder.
Discovery delays 2026 contribution increase to April
Leading open medical schemes have announced increases above the CMS’s guidance, underscoring the tension between regulator calls for restraint and schemes’ funding needs.
Provisional curator to advise on future of medical scheme
The curator will assess Sizwe Hosmed’s finances and recommend whether it should merge, be liquidated, or continue.
Medical scheme hikes: CMS calls for restraint, but will schemes listen?
The Council for Medical Schemes recommends capping 2026 contribution increases at 3.3% plus “reasonable utilisation estimates”, yet past trends show schemes often push far higher.
Medihelp’s solvency dips again, but scheme says recovery plan is working
Medihelp says its recovery plan is on track, with strong cost controls, younger members, and CMS-approved funding measures set to restore financial stability by 2026.
Medical scheme placed under statutory management as reserves plummet
The deterioration in Sizwe Hosmed’s reserves is attributed to ‘benefit under-pricing and historically unreliable budgetary and forecasting processes’.
Bonitas plans to ‘return’ up to R700m in reserves to members
The medical scheme says it will use its reserves to limit contribution increases, while possibly improving members’ benefits and reducing co-payments.
Medihelp’s solvency ratio drops below threshold amid high claims and rising costs
Medihelp submitted a CMS-approved three-year plan, requiring gradual contribution increases to restore its reserves to the statutory 25% level.
All open medical schemes – except one – have solvency ratios far above the required minimum
And the solvency ratio of the restricted Transmed Medical Fund continued to fall in 2022.
