Annual contribution increases of 7.9% will only be implemented from May 1 next year. This follows a six-month delay in implementing the increases for this year.

Discovery says this makes Discovery Health Medical Scheme the only medical scheme to have deferred contribution increases twice since the onset of the pandemic. It says the contribution relief to members totals over R4 billion.

Noach says the deferral of the increases for 2021 and 2022 means that members will have an actual effective increase in total contributions of 2.9% in 2021 and 5.3% during 2022. At the same time, the scheme’s contributions are keeping pace with the medical inflation anticipated once Covid-19 becomes endemic in the healthcare system and avoids the need for increased shocks at that time.

Moneyweb