Discovery, Bonitas, Momentum: How your 2026 medical aid increase compares

Medical aid members can breathe a little easier next year as schemes slow on price hikes at a time when members are buying down.

Contribution increases for 2026 are set to be lower than the steep hikes seen in 2025, offering long-awaited relief after last year’s double-digit jumps.

However, the average of the top medical aid schemes comes in at 8.8% at a time when inflation is 3.4%.

Medical aids increase at a higher rate than general inflation due to factors like increased healthcare service costs, higher claims from a sicker and older population, the high expense of new medical technologies and medicines, and administrative and other operational costs.

Alexforbes also explains that the August healthcare host inflation rate as of August was 4.7%, 

Alexforbes has run calculations and notes that, of the top five open schemes, Momentum and Fedhealth announced the highest average increases at 9.9% and 9.6% respectively.

They were followed by Bonitas (8.88%), Medihelp (8.46%), Discovery (7.2%) and Bestmed (6.8%).

Discovery’s increase, which takes effect from April 2026, has the lowest effective annual increase at 5.4% due to the implementation date.

Sizwe Hosmed is the outlier, with a 19.15% hike from 1 November 2025.

The scheme was placed under curatorship in September after reserves fell to 5.6%, well below the required 25%.

Alexforbes said lower inflation, tighter cost control and more accurate pricing from past years have helped moderate increases.

“While lower increases in 2026 offer relief, schemes have continued innovating through digital health, preventive care, and smarter benefit design to ensure long-term affordability,” said Fazlin Swanepoel, head of Health at Alexforbes.

Schemes are investing in preventive care, AI-driven analytics and low-cost options such as Discovery’s Active Smart Plan and Bonitas’ BonCore to attract younger, healthier members.

Swanepoel said more members are buying down due to affordability pressures.

“To encourage growth that ensures the sustainability of medical schemes, attracting younger, healthier members through affordable, relevant options that ensure access to care has never been more important.”

Alexforbes believes moderate increases will continue as schemes balance affordability with long-term sustainability.

IOL Business

Get your news on the go. Download the latest IOL App for Android and IOS now.