50 years of Anglo Medical Scheme
In 2018 we are celebrating 50 years of Anglo Medical Scheme’s existence! This is a milestone worth recognition, considering that only a third of the schemes that existed in 1968 are still around today. There were 256 medical-scheme-type entities registered in South Africa in 1967, covering approximately 1.86 million beneficiaries. The number of medical schemes decreased over the next 50 years to 82 schemes. The number of beneficiaries, with medical scheme cover in South Africa, fortunately increased to 8.9 million beneficiaries.
In 1967, the year when Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant in Cape Town (as shown on the cover of our 2018 Benefit Guide), the Medical Schemes Act No. 72 was passed. This ensured that medical schemes and benefit societies were run on the principle of social solidarity and contained a broadly defined set of minimum benefits and outlawed risk rating. Anglo American Corporation Medical Scheme (AACMED), now Anglo Medical Scheme, was registered on 16 October 1968. This all occurred in an era when medicine, procedures and technology changed drastically.
The 60s, 70s and 80s produced a vast amount of medical innovation. (We have listed some of them on a timeline in the 2018 Benefit Guide.) Scientists made major advances in the understanding of the genetic code. Vaccines were introduced for rubella, mumps, polio and hepatitis B, which resulted in a major shift towards disease prevention. Surgeons performed organ transplants for the first time, which today save thousands of lives. The production of insulin made life-saving treatment available to people with diabetes. Statins were introduced to limit the damage of cardiovascular disease and HIV was identified to be the cause of AIDS.
The 90s brought, besides further medical innovation, democracy to South Africa and the previously race-based health system began dismantling. A policy on universal health care was introduced, free care for children younger than 6 years and for pregnant women was instituted, as well as free primary health care for all South Africans.
Our current Medical Schemes Act, No. 131 of 1998 was passed, as well as the tobacco products control amendment Act, which limits smoking in public places and raises awareness of health risks of tobacco by placing restrictions on tobacco advertisements.
In 2000 the Council for Medical Schemes was formally established and statutory minimum solvency requirements and the 270 diagnosis and treatment pairs were introduced. In 2003 PMBs were extended to include 25 chronic conditions and in 2004 the competition commission prohibited tariff setting between schemes and health care groups. Medically, the 2000s produced more insights into human genomes, scientists developed more life-saving vaccines and celebrated breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease research.'
The last 17 years were dominated by health care technology advances. The first in vitro kidney was grown, as well as the first human liver from stem cells; the world’s first 3D printed organ tissues were created and the first successful bionic eye implant was performed.
Due to new technology, procedures and drugs, our cost of care has risen drastically in the last 50 years, but so has the quality of care and with it the quality of life. The years to come will change the way we experience medicine and treatments. Virtual consultations, robotics, Artificial Intelligence and ‘big health data’ research will take medicine to a new level.
Fortunately, the Scheme is in a healthy and strong position to continue to provide the appropriate funding for high-quality products and services for our members into the future.
What are your memories of 50 years of AMS?
How have you experienced 50 years of AMS? We would love to hear your stories. Please share them with us and send them to the Scheme’s Communication Manager