South Africa’s medical aid market is under fresh scrutiny for a pattern that clinicians and members know too well. This has prompted renewed discussion about value-based healthcare and its potential to improve patient outcomes and system sustainability. Schemes routinely fund high-cost, late-stage interventions. Yet they often resist paying for prevention and side-effect management that could avoid hospital admissions later. This…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Sizwe Hosmed Curator Replacement Ordered By High Court
The medical schemes regulator has won its bid to replace Sizwe Hosmed’s curator. This successful Sizwe Hosmed curator replacement, according to the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), will not disrupt the scheme. It also stressed that Sizwe Hosmed remains fully operational. A High Court order handed down on Wednesday in Pretoria confirmed Ian Fleming as curator with immediate effect. He…
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NHI Public Participation Challenge Reshapes Legislative Focus
\n\nGetty Images for Unsplash\n\n\n\nThe shift matters because it could determine the fate of several parallel cases. The court has signalled that if the public participation challenge succeeds, arguments about the President’s decision to sign may become irrelevant. In practical terms, this means the court may delay the most politically charged question – whether Ramaphosa acted rationally when signing the NHI…
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Gauteng Hospital Overcrowding: MEC Denial Sparks Backlash
Gauteng Hospital Overcrowding is one of the pressing issues facing Gauteng’s public health system and is contributing to its credibility problem. It is not only about beds, wards, or staffing. It is also about how leadership responds when patients and clinicians describe conditions that feel unsafe and undignified. This week, Gauteng health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko pushed back against claims that…
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Bogus Doctors in focus as HPCSA Warns on Rising Fraud
The Health Professions Council of South Africa HPCSA is warning that unregistered practitioners are putting lives at risk. New cases of “bogus doctors” continue to surface. “If you’re in the hands of an unqualified person, you’re as well as dead,” says. The council is responsible for registering medical doctors and other health professionals. It also investigates complaints about practitioners practising…
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Sizwe Hosmed Curatorship Exposes R522m in Duplicate Claims
South Africa’s medical scheme regulator has escalated its fight to keep Sizwe Hosmed under curatorship. An affidavit filed in the High Court in Pretoria alleges serious governance and payment failures at the troubled scheme. The allegations include potential duplicate claims exceeding R522m, stale claims worth R81m, procurement concerns, and alleged misuse of a corporate credit card. The affidavit was filed…
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Medical Aid Tax Credit Cut Could Reshape SA’s Private Healthcare
South Africa’s healthcare funding model may be nearing a defining break point. The proposed withdrawal of medical aid tax credits, starting with high-income earners in 2026 and extending to all taxpayers by 2027, is framed as a revenue-raising measure to support the National Health Insurance (NHI). But it is also a structural shift in how healthcare is financed. The change…
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Gauteng Health Turmoil as MEC Backs Tainted Department Head
Renewed scrutiny dogs Gauteng health’s leadership after Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko publicly defended her former head of department (HOD), Lesiba Malotana, despite a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) lifestyle audit flagging him as “high risk.”This situation highlights the Gauteng Health Turmoil as the province faces pressure over both governance and patient care. Additionally, it adds fuel to an already heated political…
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Sizwe Hosmed Curatorship Under Fresh Scrutiny
The curator of Sizwe Hosmed responded to critics after they launched legal efforts to liquidate her business and sequester her estate. Lebogang Mpakati, a registered business rescue practitioner, said the proceedings are private matters. She said they have no bearing on her ability to stabilise the troubled medical scheme. Mpakati is facing pressure from the scheme’s suspended board of trustees. The…
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Eli Lilly 2026 Guidance Signals Momentum In Obesity Care
Eli Lilly has forecast 2026 profit and revenue above Wall Street expectations, reinforcing how fast the obesity market is reshaping Big Pharma growth plans. The recent Eli Lilly 2026 Guidance reflects the company’s confidence in strong future performance. The company also beat estimates for fourth-quarter earnings, helped by strong demand for its injectable weight-loss and diabetes medicines. For Q4, Lilly…