Last reviewed: October 2026. We review our guides regularly to keep them accurate.
By Hagop Jaghlassian, CEO at Curemed. Reviewed by Roxanne Hurter-Ehlers, Director of People and Governance.
Momentum Health announced on 30 September 2026 that Momentum Medical Scheme contributions will rise by an annual average of 7.9% for 2027. Curemed has worked through the 2026 and 2027 brochures option by option and found that principal member increases run from 7.24% on Evolve to 8.51% on Summit and on several combinations that use the Any chronic provider. This article sets out what every option will cost and what members should check before the option change window closes.
In short: Momentum increase 2027
- Contributions rise by an annual average of 7.9% for 2027, down from 9.9% for 2026 but more than double the 3.8% CMS anchor.
- Curemed calculation: principal increases run from 7.24% (Evolve) to 8.51% (Summit and the Any chronic combinations). Momentum has not published per option percentages.
- The chronic provider choice now sets the size of the increase: Any chronic about 8.5%, Associated and State chronic between about 7.7% and 8.0%.
- Hospital, scan and procedure co-payments rise by 3.6% to 5.2%, so members also pay more at the point of care.
- The 2027 figures are subject to approval by the Registrar of Medical Schemes. Watch the member letter for the effective date and the option change deadline.
What did Momentum announce for 2027?
The announcement was reported by FAnews, BusinessTech, News24 and Moonstone. The headline figure is a 7.9% annual average contribution increase. Momentum also said that HealthReturns is enhanced to expand rewards for employers through HealthSaver contributions and additional health initiatives.
Momentum framed the figure against a shrinking market: as reported by FAnews, the open scheme market contracted by 3% between 2019 and 2024 and the average age of members rose from 35 to 37.
Momentum is focused on maintaining the right balance between benefit richness, affordability and sustainable risk management.
Damian McHugh, Chief Marketing Officer at Momentum Health, as reported by FAnews, 30 September 2026.
The Momentum Medical Scheme 2025 Integrated Annual Report records 155 779 principal members and solvency of 30.7% at 31 December 2025. The option list is unchanged: Ingwe, Evolve, Custom, Incentive, Extender and Summit. On Custom, Incentive and Extender, members choose a hospital provider (Any or Associated) and a chronic provider (Any, Associated or State), which is why one option name becomes six contribution lines.
How does 7.9% compare with earlier years and with the CMS guidance?
Momentum members have seen three increases above 9% in a row: 9.6% from 1 January 2024, 9.4% from 1 January 2025 and 9.9% from 1 January 2026. A 7.9% average is a clear step down from that run.
It is not close to the regulator, though. CMS Circular 20 of 2026 recommended that 2027 increases be anchored at 3.8%. That is guidance rather than a cap, but Momentum at 7.9% is more than double it. Our round-up of 2027 medical aid increases tracks every scheme against that reference point.
Why does the chronic provider choice change the size of the increase?
Momentum has not published per option percentages, so Curemed calculated them from the published contributions. The results sort by chronic provider rather than by option:
- Any chronic combinations rose by about 8.5% on Custom, Incentive and Extender, and Summit rose by 8.51%.
- Associated chronic rose by about 7.7% on Custom and Incentive and about 8.0% on Extender.
- State chronic rose by about 7.9% on Custom and Incentive and about 8.0% on Extender.
- Evolve rose by 7.24%, the smallest increase in the scheme.
The hospital provider made very little difference to the percentage. The chronic provider did. A member who wants the freedom to use any pharmacy or doctor for chronic medicine pays a slightly higher percentage for that freedom in 2027.
What will each Momentum option cost in 2027?
The table lists all 20 principal member contribution lines across the six options, with the hospital provider named first and the chronic provider second.
| Option | 2026 principal | 2027 principal | Rand increase | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom, Any hospital, Any chronic | R4 472 | R4 852 | R380 | 8.50% |
| Custom, Any hospital, Associated chronic | R3 953 | R4 258 | R305 | 7.72% |
| Custom, Any hospital, State chronic | R3 295 | R3 556 | R261 | 7.92% |
| Custom, Associated hospital, Any chronic | R3 749 | R4 068 | R319 | 8.51% |
| Custom, Associated hospital, Associated chronic | R3 334 | R3 591 | R257 | 7.71% |
| Custom, Associated hospital, State chronic | R2 585 | R2 789 | R204 | 7.89% |
| Evolve | R2 029 | R2 176 | R147 | 7.24% |
| Incentive, Any hospital, Any chronic | R6 030 | R6 543 | R513 | 8.51% |
| Incentive, Any hospital, Associated chronic | R5 149 | R5 549 | R400 | 7.77% |
| Incentive, Any hospital, State chronic | R4 179 | R4 510 | R331 | 7.92% |
| Incentive, Associated hospital, Any chronic | R5 333 | R5 787 | R454 | 8.51% |
| Incentive, Associated hospital, Associated chronic | R4 731 | R5 099 | R368 | 7.78% |
| Incentive, Associated hospital, State chronic | R3 362 | R3 627 | R265 | 7.88% |
| Extender, Any hospital, Any chronic | R11 472 | R12 448 | R976 | 8.51% |
| Extender, Any hospital, Associated chronic | R10 079 | R10 888 | R809 | 8.03% |
| Extender, Any hospital, State chronic | R9 017 | R9 741 | R724 | 8.03% |
| Extender, Associated hospital, Any chronic | R10 088 | R10 945 | R857 | 8.50% |
| Extender, Associated hospital, Associated chronic | R9 081 | R9 811 | R730 | 8.04% |
| Extender, Associated hospital, State chronic | R7 939 | R8 576 | R637 | 8.02% |
| Summit | R16 469 | R17 870 | R1 401 | 8.51% |
The rand column matters as much as the percentage. A Custom member on Associated hospital and State chronic pays R204 more a month; a Summit member pays R1 401 more. The percentages sit close together, the cash does not, which is why we encourage members to budget from their own option line rather than from the headline.
How do the Ingwe income bands change for 2027?
Ingwe prices by household income as defined by Momentum, and the band limits moved up for 2027. The 2026 limits were R0 to R1 550, R1 551 to R9 400, R9 401 to R12 500, R12 501 to R18 000, R18 001 to R23 500 and R23 501 plus. A member whose income is unchanged may therefore land in a lower band than before, which would soften the increase for that household.
| 2027 income band | Any hospital | Ingwe Network | Connect Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| R0 to R1 600 | R645 to R699 (8.37%) | R645 to R699 (8.37%) | R1 079 to R1 158 (7.32%) |
| R1 601 to R9 800 | R1 852 to R1 998 (7.88%) | R1 425 to R1 537 (7.86%) | R1 252 to R1 344 (7.35%) |
| R9 801 to R13 100 | R2 590 to R2 794 (7.88%) | R1 814 to R1 957 (7.88%) | R1 635 to R1 755 (7.34%) |
| R13 101 to R18 850 | R3 527 to R3 805 (7.88%) | R2 492 to R2 689 (7.91%) | R1 763 to R1 892 (7.32%) |
| R18 851 to R24 500 | R4 527 to R4 884 (7.89%) | R3 576 to R3 858 (7.89%) | R2 870 to R3 080 (7.32%) |
| R24 501 plus | R4 546 to R4 905 (7.90%) | R3 590 to R3 873 (7.88%) | R3 302 to R3 543 (7.30%) |
Any hospital and Ingwe Network rose by about 7.9% in the middle and upper bands and about 8.4% in the lowest band. Connect Network rose by about 7.3% in every band.
What does the increase look like in rand on Incentive?
Incentive, Any hospital, Any chronic carries the full 8.51%. The principal contribution moves from R6 030 to R6 543, which is R513 a month or R6 156 a year for the principal alone.
For a family of principal, adult and one child on that combination, the 2026 total was R6 030 plus R4 900 plus R2 351, or R13 281 a month. In 2027 it is R6 543 plus R5 317 plus R2 551, or R14 411. That family pays R1 130 more a month and R13 560 more a year. The percentage sounds modest; the annual figure does not.
Which benefits and co-payments change for 2027?
Curemed compared the two brochures line by line. Specialist cover is unchanged at 100% on Custom, 200% on Incentive and Extender and 300% on Summit of the Momentum Medical Scheme Rate. Evolve virtual GP consultations increase from 2 to 4 per beneficiary per year. The co-payments are where members will feel a second increase:
- Evolve and Custom hospital co-payment rises from R2 000 to R2 100 per authorisation (5%).
- Evolve and Custom MRI and CT scan co-payment rises from R3 850 to R4 050 per scan (5.2%).
- Incentive, Extender and Summit scan co-payment rises from R3 500 to R3 650 per scan (4.3%).
- Specialised procedures co-payment rises from R5 500 to R5 700 per authorisation (3.6%).
Two limits move in favour of members. The Extender threshold rises from R36 900, R32 000 and R10 600 to R40 000, R34 700 and R11 500 for principal, adult and child, and the Summit overall day-to-day limit rises from R34 500 to R36 100 per beneficiary. Even so, members pay more on the debit order and more again at the point of care. If you have a procedure or scan planned for early 2027, check the co-payment that will apply. Our Gap Cover guide explains where a separate policy can pick up shortfalls the scheme leaves with the member.
How does the Momentum spread compare with Medihelp and Fedhealth?
A headline average is only as useful as the range behind it. At Medihelp the weighted average is 7.5% and the per plan range runs from 6.5% to 8.5%, as set out in our Medihelp 2027 analysis. Fedhealth said 60% of members see an 8.9% weighted average, yet our Fedhealth 2027 analysis found up to 13.5% on flexiFED 3 and 4.
Momentum sits at the narrow end. The headline is 7.9% and the range is 7.24% to 8.51%, so the heaviest increase is only about 0.6 of a percentage point above the average. Across the options, the headline is a reasonable guide to what members will pay.
When do the new contributions apply and when must members decide?
No 2027 source states the effective date explicitly. Momentum has applied its increases from 1 January in each of the last three years, 2024, 2025 and 2026, and members should confirm the 2027 date in the scheme member letter when it arrives.
The option change deadline for 2027 has not been published by Momentum as at 5 October 2026. For reference only, the deadline for changes for 2026 was 28 November 2025. Do not assume the same date. Watch for the 2027 member letter and do the work before it arrives rather than after.
What should Momentum members do now?
Find your own line in the table and budget from that, not from 7.9%. Add the dependant lines and the co-payments for any care you already expect in 2027. If the total is uncomfortable, the provider choices within your option are the first lever to look at, and our guide to choosing a medical aid sets out how to weigh hospital and chronic access against cost.
If you would like help with your 2027 Momentum options, a Curemed Advisor can compare your current line with the alternatives inside the scheme and show where Gap Cover may help with co-payments and shortfalls, depending on the policy. Curemed has advised members since 1992 across all nine provinces, and a conversation carries no obligation.
Which other questions come up about the Momentum 2027 increase?
Does the increase apply to adult and child dependants equally?
Yes, broadly. On Custom, Incentive, Extender and Summit the adult and child rates rose by roughly the same percentage as the principal. On Custom, Any hospital, Any chronic, the adult rate moves from R3 589 to R3 894 and the child rate from R1 596 to R1 732. Evolve charges the same rate for every beneficiary, R2 176 in 2027. A maximum of 3 children are charged on every option except Ingwe, where all children are charged.
How does the increase affect the savings portion on Incentive and Extender?
The savings allocation stays at 10% of the contribution on Incentive and 25% on Extender, and the percentage increase applies to the whole contribution. The savings amount therefore rises in proportion with the risk portion, so the rand value of savings is higher in 2027 than in 2026.
What does it mean that the 2027 figures are subject to Registrar approval?
The 2027 brochure states that the 2027 benefits and contributions Rules have been submitted to the Council for Medical Schemes and are subject to approval by the Registrar. Members should treat the published figures as the intended 2027 position until the scheme confirms approval.
Is Health4Me part of these changes?
No. Health4Me is a primary health insurance product, not the medical scheme. Its 2027 changes, including specialist limits, an over the counter pharmacy benefit and a GP tier, do not apply to Momentum Medical Scheme options and are not reflected in this article.
Should I move to a cheaper hospital or chronic provider choice within Momentum?
That depends on your needs rather than on the increase alone. The Associated and State choices cost less and rose by a smaller percentage for 2027, but they restrict which hospitals, pharmacies and doctors you may use. Changing provider choices also has conditions and timing, which we explain in our article on changing a medical aid plan. A Curemed Advisor can map your expected 2027 care against each choice before you decide.
