Discovery Announces 2026 Medical Aid Increases – with a Delay

Discovery Health will raise medical aid premiums by up to 7.9% in 2026, but increases will only take effect from April 2026, not January.

Key Increases

• Executive, Comprehensive, Coastal, KeyCare → +7.9%

• Priority, Saver, Core → +6.9%

• Active Smart Plan → 0%

• Weighted average → +7.2%

Financial Impact

• The three-month delay will save members R1.5 billion in total (≈R1,100 per membership).

• Example:

  • Family of four on Classic Comprehensive saves R5,100+

  • Family of three on Classic Saver saves R2,000+

Why the Delay?

• Discovery’s strong solvency ratio (30%+) allows it to defer increases.

• Driven by lower-than-expected claims and solid investment returns.

Inflation & Costs

• Increases remain well above CPI (3.3%), reflecting medical inflation.

• Rising healthcare use (+3–4% annually) and advanced treatments continue to push costs higher.

• CEO Ron Whelan: “Medical inflation is a global challenge… Contribution increases remain accurately priced.”

New Benefits for 2026

1. Smart Saver Series – Plans tailored for young families (Classic & Essential options).

2. Enhanced Personal Health Fund – Members earn day-to-day benefits by completing health pathway actions.

Market Context

• Other medical aids are also announcing steep increases:

  • Bonitas: +8.8% (weighted)

  • Medshield: +7.5%

  • Bestmed: +6.8% (closest to regulator’s guideline)

Regulator’s Warning

• The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) advised increases of 5.4%–6.8% (CPI + utilisation).

• Most schemes, including Discovery, exceeded this range.

• CMS notes contribution hikes outpaced inflation by 7.1 points in 2025 (10.1% vs 3% CPI).

👉 In short: Discovery members face increases up to 7.9% in 2026, but thanks to a three-month delay, they’ll see short-term savings. However, medical inflation remains a key pressure point across all schemes.

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