Last reviewed: October 2026. How we work: our editorial standards, corrections policy and how Curemed is paid.
By Hagop Jaghlassian, CEO at Curemed. Reviewed by Roxanne Hurter-Ehlers, Director of People and Governance.
A legitimate medical aid broker in South Africa holds two things you can check yourself in a few minutes: accreditation from the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), for the individual broker and the brokerage, and a licence from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) that covers health service benefits. Check both on the regulators’ own search tools, not on a certificate the broker shows you, and ask for the broker’s fees and disclosures in writing before you sign anything.
Disclosure: Curemed is itself a medical aid brokerage (FSP 44098, CMS accreditation ORG 163). This page explains how to check any broker, Curemed included, and does not rank brokers.
In short
- No person may act as a medical aid broker without CMS accreditation (section 65 of the Medical Schemes Act). Accreditation lasts 24 months and both the broker and the brokerage are accredited.
- Check accreditation on the CMS Accreditation Portal and the licence on the FSCA FSP search. Medical scheme advice is FAIS Category I subcategory 1.16, Health Service Benefits.
- In 2026 a scheme may pay a broker at most R125.86 plus VAT a month per member, or 3% of contributions plus VAT, whichever is less. Figures such as “3% or R102” are out of date.
- You pay nothing extra for a broker unless you agree in writing to additional services, and you may cancel a broker appointment at any time.
- Advice complaints go to the FAIS Ombud, scheme complaints to the CMS, and Gap Cover complaints to the National Financial Ombud Scheme.
Why must a medical aid broker be accredited?
Section 65(1) of the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998 says that no person may act or offer to act as a broker unless the Council for Medical Schemes has granted accreditation, and section 65(3) bars a scheme from paying a broker who is not accredited. Regulation 28B requires a brokerage to confirm that every person who gives medical scheme advice on its behalf is accredited, so both the individual broker and the brokerage hold accreditation. Under Regulation 28B(7) accreditation is granted for 24 months, with a certificate from the Registrar showing the expiry date.
Medical scheme membership is also a financial product under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act 37 of 2002. A broker therefore also needs an FSCA licence, and the FAIS Act links the two: if CMS accreditation lapses, is suspended or is withdrawn, the corresponding FAIS authority goes with it.
How do you check a broker’s CMS accreditation?
- Open the CMS Accreditation Portal search at medicalschemes.com/AccreditationPortal, which is linked from the regulated entities page on medicalschemes.co.za. No login is needed.
- Search for the individual broker by broker number, surname or ID number. The result shows the broker number, full name, accreditation from and to dates, and status.
- Search for the brokerage by brokerage number, name or registration number. The result shows the organisation number, name, registration number, dates and status.
- Check that the status is current and the “to” date has not passed. If you cannot find the broker, call the CMS customer care line on 0861 123 267 before you sign anything.
Why the portal, and not a certificate? On 28 November 2025 the CMS withdrew the accreditation of a brokerage after finding that three accreditation certificates held by its owner were fraudulent, and that a medical scheme had paid commission on the strength of them. In its public notice in December 2025, the CMS reminded consumers to verify a broker and brokerage directly with the CMS before using them.
How do you check a broker’s FSCA licence?
- Use the FSCA search tools, reached from fsca.co.za. You can search for a financial services provider (FSP) by FSP number or name, or for a person by ID number. The FSCA call centre is 0800 20 37 22.
- Check that the FSP is authorised for Category I subcategory 1.16, Health Service Benefits. That is the subcategory for advice on medical scheme membership. Gap Cover is short-term insurance, so check that the short-term insurance personal lines categories are listed if the broker also advises on Gap Cover.
- Check that the person advising you is listed as a representative of that FSP, and that they do not appear on the FSCA list of debarred representatives.
- Check that the broker’s documents, website and adverts state that the business holds a licence. The FAIS Act requires a licensee to say so in its business documentation and promotional material.
What may a medical aid broker be paid?
Regulation 28 of the Medical Schemes Act regulations caps what a scheme may pay a broker for introducing a member and giving ongoing advice. For 2026 the cap is R125.86 plus VAT per member per month, or 3% of the contributions plus VAT, whichever is less, set in Government Gazette 54019 (Notice 7028) and confirmed in CMS Circular 2 of 2026. The rand figure is adjusted each year for inflation; it was R121.84 in 2025 and R116.74 in 2024. A figure such as “3% or R102” is the 2021 cap of R101.91 and is out of date. The 2027 figure had not been gazetted at the time of writing.
Four further rules protect you:
- The scheme pays the broker. The Council for Medical Schemes notes that you pay nothing extra for a broker unless you have agreed in writing to additional services.
- Any direct fee must be agreed with you. The Act allows a broker to be paid by the member as well as the scheme, and the FAIS General Code of Conduct requires such a fee to be agreed in writing, including its amount, frequency and payment method, and to be one you can stop.
- You can end the appointment. Under Regulation 28(7) a scheme must stop paying a broker as soon as you notify it that you no longer want that broker. Only one broker may be paid for a member at a time.
- You do not need a broker. Regulation 28A prohibits a scheme from refusing your application because you are not using a broker.
What should a broker give you in writing?
The FAIS General Code of Conduct sets out what you are entitled to receive:
- Who they are. The business name, contact details, compliance department, the financial services the licence covers and any conditions on it, and whether the representative works under supervision. If this is given verbally, it must be confirmed in writing within 30 days.
- Fees in rand terms. Fees and charges must be stated in specific monetary terms.
- Conflicts of interest. The broker must disclose any conflict of interest in writing and tell you how to access its conflict of interest management policy.
- A needs analysis. Before advising, the broker must collect information about your needs, finances and circumstances, analyse it, and identify suitable products.
- A record of advice. If you take out a product as a result of the advice, you must receive a written copy of the record of advice, summarising the information the advice was based on, the products considered, and the product recommended with the reasons.
One more point: the Code restricts when a provider may call itself “independent”. If a broker describes itself that way, it is fair to ask on what basis.
Where can you complain about a broker?
- Advice: the FAIS Ombud. Complain to the broker first; it has six weeks to resolve the complaint. You then have six months from the broker’s final response, or from the date that response was due, to take the complaint to the Ombud. Complaints must be lodged within three years of becoming aware of the problem, and the Ombud’s monetary limit is R3,500,000.
- Medical scheme matters, and accredited brokers: the Council for Medical Schemes at [email protected], after you have raised the matter with the scheme or entity.
- Gap Cover and other insurance: the National Financial Ombud Scheme, which has handled short-term insurance complaints since 1 March 2024.
A five-minute checklist before you sign
- Find the broker and the brokerage on the CMS Accreditation Portal, with current dates.
- Find the FSP on the FSCA search, with subcategory 1.16 Health Service Benefits, and the person as a representative.
- Ask for the disclosure document and any fees in writing, in rand.
- Confirm you will receive a needs analysis, and a written record of advice if you go ahead.
- Keep the complaints routes on file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my medical aid broker is accredited?
Search for the broker and the brokerage on the CMS Accreditation Portal at medicalschemes.com. The result shows the accreditation dates and status. If you cannot find them, call the CMS on 0861 123 267. Do not rely on a certificate alone: in November 2025 the CMS withdrew a brokerage accreditation after finding fraudulent certificates.
How much commission does a medical aid broker earn?
In 2026 a scheme may pay a broker at most R125.86 plus VAT per member per month, or 3% of contributions plus VAT, whichever is less, under Regulation 28 and CMS Circular 2 of 2026. The scheme pays it from contributions.
Can a broker charge me a fee?
Only if you agree to it. The Council for Medical Schemes notes that you pay nothing extra for a broker unless you have agreed in writing to additional services, and the FAIS General Code requires a direct fee to be agreed in writing and to be one you can stop.
Can I join a medical scheme without a broker?
Yes. Regulation 28A prohibits a scheme from refusing your application because you are not using a broker, and you can end a broker appointment by notifying your scheme.
Where do I complain about bad medical aid advice?
To the broker first, then to the FAIS Ombud for advice complaints. Scheme matters go to the Council for Medical Schemes, and Gap Cover complaints to the National Financial Ombud Scheme.
Sources
Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998, sections 65 and 29A, and Regulations 28, 28A and 28B; CMS Circular 2 of 2026 and Government Gazette 54019, Notice 7028 (27 January 2026); CMS Circulars 2 of 2025, 2 of 2024 and 18 of 2021; CMS article on accredited brokers (7 November 2025); CMS media advisory on withdrawal of accreditation (December 2025); FAIS Act 37 of 2002; FAIS General Code of Conduct (Board Notice 80 of 2003, as amended by Board Notice 706 of 2020), sections 2, 3, 3A, 5, 8 and 9; FSCA licence category list; FAIS Ombud, CMS and National Financial Ombud Scheme complaints pages. Checked 28 October 2026.
