Millions of South Africans will face higher medical aid costs in 2027, with Discovery Health Medical Scheme announcing contribution increases of between 7.4% and 8.9% from January.
The increases are subject to approval by the Council for Medical Schemes and, if approved, will take effect on 1 January 2027.
Discovery Health said two out of every three beneficiaries will receive an increase below 8%, while the weighted average contribution increase across all plans will be 8.2%.
By how much will contributions increase?
The 2027 increases vary by benefit option:
Active Smart will have the lowest increase, taking its contribution to R1 450 per member per month.
Discovery Health says medical inflation is being driven by rising healthcare input costs, new treatments, medicines and technology, as well as growing demand for healthcare as populations age and chronic diseases become more common.
The scheme says it has sought to limit the impact on members through healthcare management, including measures to reduce fraud and waste and encourage preventative care.
In 2025, Discovery Health said its healthcare and managed-care initiatives saved members R12.4 billion. It estimates that these measures helped keep the 2027 weighted average increase about 2.5 percentage points lower than it otherwise would have been.
New lower-cost family plan
Discovery Health will also introduce a new medical aid option called Active Core, subject to regulatory approval.
The plan will cost:
A family of three would therefore pay R3 750 per month, while a family of four would pay R4 250.
Discovery Health says the R500 contribution for a child dependant is the lowest in the open medical scheme market.
Active Core will offer unlimited private hospital cover through the Active Hospital Network, which includes more than 40 hospitals nationally.
Members will also receive up to R8 000 in day-to-day benefits through the Personal Health Fund, together with maternity and mental health benefits.
Discovery covers more than 2.7 million people
Discovery Health Medical Scheme is South Africa’s largest open medical scheme, covering more than 2.7 million people.
The scheme funded R90 billion in healthcare claims during 2025, processing 64 million individual claims.
Discovery Health said more than one million South Africans in the relevant market segment still face barriers to accessing medical scheme cover.
The new Active Core option follows Active Smart, launched in 2025, and Essential Smart Saver, launched in 2026. Together, the newer plans have attracted more than 80 000 lives.
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