News

Exit of young members hurts medical schemes financially

22 May 2026
Medical schemes are facing a worrying trend of younger contributors declining membership. – Business Day (20 May 2026)
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ConCourt ruling a setback for Government’s NHI plans

22 May 2026
On 18 May the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruled that Sections 36 to 40 (including the Certificate of Need) of the NHI Act is unconstitutional and failed to provide a rational and lawful mechanism for improving access to healthcare.
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New CEO for Netcare

20 May 2026
Netcare has named Melanie Da Costa as its next CEO, replacing co-founder Dr Richard Friedland. – Moneyweb (20 May 2026) Da Costa, currently Netcare’s executive director of strategy and health policy, will become CEO-designate on 1 June and will work alongside Friedland for six months before formally assuming the CEO role on 1 January 2027.
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GEMS solvency ratio expected to fall to 23%

20 May 2026
Business Day reported on 20 May that the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) expects its solvency ratio to fall to 23% by the end of 2026; below the statutory requirement of 25%.
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Health Department considering alternatives to CoN

20 May 2026
The National Department of Health is considering alternative ways to regulate where medical professionals practice following the Constitutional Court ‘s (ConCourt) rejection of the Certificate-of-Need (CoN) provisions.
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Ebola death toll rises in DRC

20 May 2026
Reuters reported on 20 May that 26 more suspected Ebola deaths have been recorded in 24 hours in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This brings the number of deaths associated with the outbreak to 131. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
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ConCourt ruling a ‘significant blow’ to Government’s NHI plans

19 May 2026
The Constitutional Court ‘s (ConCourt) ruling on 18 May that the Certificate of Need (CoN) provisions in the National Health Act are unconstitutional, dealt a “significant blow” to Government’s plans to centralise healthcare providers’ role as part of the NHI roll out. – Business Day (19 May 2026)
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ConCourt declares CoN unconstitutional

19 May 2026
The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has dealt a major blow to the Health Minister’s plans to regulate where doctors, healthcare professionals, medical equipment and health facilities may be located, reported Business Day (18 May 2026)
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Removal of medical tax credits on the cards

17 Oct 2025
“With significant legal and logistical uncertainty still surrounding the NHI's implementation, making precipitous changes to the tax system could have unforeseen and damaging consequences for millions of South Africans.” - Business Day(17 October 2025)
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Pharma faces billions in costs due to new tariffs

29 Jul 2025
“The pharmaceutical industry is bracing for a significant financial blow, with analysts forecasting costs of between $13bn and $19bn following the revelation that a new transatlantic trade deal will subject branded medicines to a hefty 15% tariff.” – Reuters (28 July 2025)
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Life Healthcare backs collaboration to tackle healthcare crisis

27 Nov 2024
Life Healthcare CEO Peter Wharton-Hood has backed a call for greater collaboration between the government and private healthcare providers to address South Africa’s pressing healthcare challenges. This follows a proposal by Netcare CEO Richard Friedland, who suggested adding healthcare as the fourth pillar in an existing government-business partnership focused on revitalising the economy.
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Discovery Life claims back to pre-Covid levels

19 Apr 2024
“Discovery Life distributed R10.3bn to its clients, a decrease from the R11bn paid the previous year,” reported Business Day (19April 2024)
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Hundreds of websites found selling fake weight-loss drugs

16 Apr 2024
Reuters reported on 15 April that the cybersecurity company BrandShield has shut down over 250 websites selling counterfeit versions of popular drugs used for weight loss and diabetes treatment within the GLP-1 class.
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RAF bid to appeal judgment on claim requirements

06 Dec 2023
On 5 December 2023 the Pretoria High Court rejected the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) request to reconsider a previous verdict from November, reported Business Day. “The ruling mandated eliminating the stringent new requirements for filing claims outlined in a 2021 board notice.”
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Covid-19 vaccines: ‘Health Department squandered the opportunity’

07 Sep 2023
“Health activists are right to draw attention to this grossly unfair situation. (Covid-19 vaccine deals) But the far bigger scandal is that the Health Department squandered the opportunity after spending an estimated R14-bn on Covid-19 jabs and belatedly filling its warehouses with enough doses to vaccinate the nation” – Business Day (7 September 2023).
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