Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4
2.1
Size and scale Medical schemes in numbers 6 000 000
100
90 5 000 000 80
70
60
3 000 000
50
40 2 000 000
Number of medical schemes
Number of beneficiaries
4 000 000
30
20 1 000 000 10
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
Beneficiaries in open medical schemes
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Beneficiaries in restricted medical schemes
At the end of 2020 there were 76 registered medical schemes in South Africa, two fewer than in 2019 as a result of mergers. From the end of 2000 to the end of 2020, the number of medical schemes reduced from 144 to 76, which represents a 47% decrease in the number of registered medical schemes over 21 years, mainly as a result of amalgamations among the smaller, less sustainable schemes. The number of open medical schemes has decreased by 29 (62%) compared with a decrease of 39 (40%) restricted medical schemes over the 21-year period. This consolidation appears to be driven in part by the: difficulty in maintaining the sustainability of small schemes in the current environment and particularly for restricted medical schemes significant amount of management time needed to manage an employer-based restricted scheme The following events took place over 2020: Grintek Electronics Medical Aid Scheme amalgamated with Bestmed Medical Scheme with effect from 1 July 2020 Keyhealth was placed under provisional curatorship with effect from 16 September 2020
14
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Number of open medical schemes
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
0
Number of restricted medical schemes
Food Workers Medical Benefit Fund (previously known as Foodmed Medical Scheme) and SAMWUMed curatorship was lifted with effect from 5 February 2020 and 7 May 2020 respectively. Despite the observed decrease in the number of medical schemes, the industry has grown by 1.5 million principal members (58%) and 2.3 million beneficiaries (35%) since 2000. The 76 medical schemes operating in South Africa at the end of 2020 served a total of 4 million principal members and 8.9 million beneficiaries. The number of principal members covered on medical schemes decreased by 1% in 2020, while the total number of beneficiaries under cover decreased by 0.6%, driven mainly by a growth in beneficiaries covered on restricted medical schemes. A total of 54.3% of principal members participated in open medical schemes at the end of 2020 with the balance of 45.7% participating in restricted medical schemes. This is in line with the membership split seen at the end of 2019.
