COST: Healthcare COST: Healthcare
Cash-strapped consumers will have to fork out up to 10% more for their medical aid schemes from January.
On the back of multiple price hikes from petrol to VAT, consumers are now faced with higher premiums for medical insurance.
Over eight million South Africans will pay an average increase of 9.2% for Discovery, 8.9% for Bonitas, 10.7% for Momentum and 8.9% for Bestmed.
According to the 2017/18 Council for Medical Schemes annual report, overall contributions by members currently stood at R179 billion.
Acting registrar for the council, Dr Sipho Kabane, noted in the report that the financial performance for 80 registered schemes was positive in the past year, with net profits standing at R3.5 billion and reserves at around R63.3 billion.
Scheme members have now questioned when the new laws will be passed which make healthcare more affordable, reports the Weekend Argus.
“Every year these medical aids go up and it is a struggle to afford it. My husband was able to put two of our children on his while I had the baby and my ill father on mine,” says mom of three, Veronica Adams, 46.
“But now that he has lost his job, I pay close to R8 000 on medical aid.”
Principal Officer at FedHealth, Jeremy Yatt, put the increase down to new technology.
“Procedures and scans that we did not have 10 years ago are great because it means illnesses that could not be treated are being treated. But the downside to that is it costs a lot more,” he said.
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