News

GEMS cuts tariff increase to 7.5%

08 May 2026
The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), one of SA’s biggest restricted medical schemes, (890,000 principal members and around 2.4m beneficiaries), announced a cut in 2026 tariffs lowering it to 7.5% effective 1 July. – Times Live (7 May 2026).
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Research shows that AI diagnostic tools outperform doctors

08 May 2026
The latest SA research into AI in healthcare, led byProf Bruce Bassett of AI at Wits University, revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) now surpasses human doctors in hospital ward diagnoses. – Business Day (7 May 2026)
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Dis-Chem to expand into healthcare delivery

08 May 2026
Dis-Chem Pharmacies announced that it is expanding into integrated healthcare delivery through its new Health Hub mode, reported Business Day (8 May 2026)
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UPDATE on BHF in Constitutional Court regardig NHI Act

08 May 2026
Focus on NHI funding and transparency in ConCourt 5 May marked the first day of a 3-day hearing in the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) during which the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) is requesting the Court to set the NHI Act aside on procedural grounds, arguing that the public participation process was defective. Business Day (6 May 2026)
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Airport screen questioned after hantavirus outbreak

07 May 2026
SA health authorities are under pressure after two hantavirus-linked cases exposed limits in airport disease screening. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Parliament that no prior airline alert was issued because the infected traveller showed no visible symptoms when arriving at OR Tambo International Airport. The cases were linked to the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, where a respiratory outbreak affected international passengers. Authorities traced 62 contacts, including healthcare workers and cruise passengers, while monitoring continues for up to six weeks. According to epidemiologist Lucille Blumberg said rapid contact tracing began before laboratory confirmation.
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Aspen to launch first locally made human insulin

07 May 2026
On 5 May the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAPHRA) approved Aspen Pharmacare’s local manufacturing of the first human insulin batches. – Moneyweb (7 May 2026) The sterile insulin, manufactured in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, may now be sold in SA and other African markets. “After Aspen’s SENS update on 5 May the company’s share price reached a 52-week high, lifting its market capitalisation above R66bn.” Diabetes is now “the single biggest killer in the country” among non-communicable diseases.
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Focus on NHI funding and transparency in ConCourt

06 May 2026
5 May marked the first day of a 3-day hearing in the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) during which the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) is requesting the Court to set the NHI Act aside on procedural grounds, arguing that the public participation process was defective. Business Day (6 May 2026)
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NHI financial architecture shapes Medtech Investment

05 May 2026
SA’s National Health Insurance (NHI) financial framework is under growing scrutiny amid constitutional challenges and limited Budget 2026 allocations. Government has delayed implementation of the NHI Act pending a Constitutional Court ruling, while analysts warn the policy promises universal coverage without fully developed operational systems.
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Removal of medical tax credits on the cards

17 Oct 2025
“With significant legal and logistical uncertainty still surrounding the NHI's implementation, making precipitous changes to the tax system could have unforeseen and damaging consequences for millions of South Africans.” - Business Day(17 October 2025)
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Pharma faces billions in costs due to new tariffs

29 Jul 2025
“The pharmaceutical industry is bracing for a significant financial blow, with analysts forecasting costs of between $13bn and $19bn following the revelation that a new transatlantic trade deal will subject branded medicines to a hefty 15% tariff.” – Reuters (28 July 2025)
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Life Healthcare backs collaboration to tackle healthcare crisis

27 Nov 2024
Life Healthcare CEO Peter Wharton-Hood has backed a call for greater collaboration between the government and private healthcare providers to address South Africa’s pressing healthcare challenges. This follows a proposal by Netcare CEO Richard Friedland, who suggested adding healthcare as the fourth pillar in an existing government-business partnership focused on revitalising the economy.
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Discovery Life claims back to pre-Covid levels

19 Apr 2024
“Discovery Life distributed R10.3bn to its clients, a decrease from the R11bn paid the previous year,” reported Business Day (19April 2024)
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Hundreds of websites found selling fake weight-loss drugs

16 Apr 2024
Reuters reported on 15 April that the cybersecurity company BrandShield has shut down over 250 websites selling counterfeit versions of popular drugs used for weight loss and diabetes treatment within the GLP-1 class.
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RAF bid to appeal judgment on claim requirements

06 Dec 2023
On 5 December 2023 the Pretoria High Court rejected the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) request to reconsider a previous verdict from November, reported Business Day. “The ruling mandated eliminating the stringent new requirements for filing claims outlined in a 2021 board notice.”
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Covid-19 vaccines: ‘Health Department squandered the opportunity’

07 Sep 2023
“Health activists are right to draw attention to this grossly unfair situation. (Covid-19 vaccine deals) But the far bigger scandal is that the Health Department squandered the opportunity after spending an estimated R14-bn on Covid-19 jabs and belatedly filling its warehouses with enough doses to vaccinate the nation” – Business Day (7 September 2023).
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