Medical aid contributions could fall by as much as 30% if everyone earning above the tax threshold were required to belong to a medical scheme.<\/p>\n
That’s according to the Health Funders Association (HFA), which commissioned research on the topic.<\/p>\n
Speaking to 702\u2019s John Perlman<\/a>, HFA CEO Thoneshan Naidoo said the current voluntary system meant many younger and healthier people only signed up to a medical aid when they needed expensive treatment.<\/p>\n “We actually have a fantastic healthcare system, but medical schemes currently are voluntary. So typically what happens is people opt in and opt out.”<\/p>\n If compulsory medical aid sign-up were introduced, it would align South Africa with the rest of the world, claimed Naidoo.<\/p>\n “If you look internationally around the world where there is, you know, this type of medical aid scheme, you have mandatory membership of employed people.”<\/p>\n Around nine million employed South Africans could potentially be brought into the medical scheme system, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they actually joined, it could reduce your contributions by roughly up to 30%.\u201d<\/p>\n