As recently as March 2019 the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) released a discussion document seeking industry input on how best to go about implementing low-cost-benefit options (LCBOs), with the intention of introducing measures to provide protection of health-care cover on medical schemes for low-income households.

The project to introduce minimum benefits specially tailored for LCBOs was meant to be implemented as a measure to replace risk-based health insurance products, which were until recently subject to an exemption framework...