Compulsory medical scheme membership for formally employed South Africans should be considered, said Thoneshan Naidoo, CEO of the Health Funders Association (HFA). In an interview with Business Tech (9 September 2026). Naidoo said mandatory medical scheme membership could reduce healthcare costs by broadening risk pools and bringing younger, healthier people into private healthcare.
Naidoo estimates R34bn–R35bn may be needed to subsidise lower-income employees.
However, Government has warned that forcing all formally employed workers into medical schemes could create a multibillion-rand fiscal burden.
According to Dr Nicholas Crisp even R20bn could divert funds from public healthcare. Although larger risk pools could ease affordability pressures, Crisp stresses that members must be able to fund their own cover.