The number of people who belong to medical schemes in SA shot past the 9-million mark for the first time in 2022, but rapid population growth means membership remains out of reach for a steadily increasing share of the population, according to data released by the industry regulator on Friday.

The share of the population belonging to medical schemes shrank to 14.92% in 2022, down from 16.5% in 2000, primarily due to SA’s high unemployment rate and the increasing cost of private healthcare...

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