Proposed amendments to the Medical Schemes Act released by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi will entail a big shake-up in benefits and contribution rates but are aimed at ensuring medical schemes remain affordable and viable until National Health Insurance is in place. The minister also released the National Health Insurance Bill this week, giving the broad framework but no details of how NHI will be funded or the benefits it will provide. Motsoaledi said that NHI would do away with the need for government to subsidise contributions to schemes for its own employees. Private-sector companies could decide for themselves how to proceed. Industry sources say the changes to schemes are likely to be implemented in phases and the impact for members and employers who subsidise contributions will depend on each scheme's benefits and reserves, and on members' incomes. The Medical Schemes Amendment Bill proposes that medical schemes: • Be obliged to pay claims in full with no co-payments; • Ch...
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