The medical scheme regulator’s latest industry analysis is a stark reminder that membership has become unattainable for a steadily growing slice of the population. The finger of blame must point squarely at the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS).
The number of medical scheme beneficiaries rose a mere 6% from 2011-2022, increasing from 8.53-million to 9.04-million, while the population soared 19.6%, growing from 51.8-million to 62-million people. Thus the share of the population that can afford medical scheme cover — to access a quality of services in the private healthcare sector the state can no longer reliably offer — has shrunk from 16.5% to 14.6%...
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