Industry Overview

There are 71 medical schemes in South Africa with approximately 8.9 million members. 16 of these medical schemes are open to the public and 55 are restricted medical schemes, mostly offered by big companies exclusively for the benefit of their employees (Council for Medical Schemes Industry Report 2023).

Anglo Medical Scheme is a restricted Scheme, exclusively for employees of participating employer groups.

National Health Insurance

The National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill is South Africa's journey to Universal Healthcare (UHC).

While the concept of the NHI has been around for almost as long as our democracy, it has, in the more recent past, received more public attention. The NHI bill has successfully navigated the parliamentary process and is poised for submission to the president for signature in the near future.

It's important to note that before our country's healthcare system can undergo this radical transformation, several other laws and regulations will need to be adjusted. Additionally, the funding mechanism needs to be established, and our healthcare system must undergo substantial improvements. These are just a few of the challenges that lie ahead. The government is also anticipating constitutional challenges to the bill.

While we monitor the progression of this process and the accompanying regulations, it is difficult to predict the exact impact on members of medical schemes. Currently, there are no immediate changes expected regarding your benefits or how our Scheme operates.

Anglo Medical Scheme remains fully engaged through industry bodies and our administrator. We are committed to keeping our membership informed about any developments as they unfold. To receive these updates, please make sure you are subscribed to our monthly member newsletter, MediBrief. Past editions can be accessed in the Knowledge Library in our member log in area.