Last reviewed: September 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.
Fedhealth is the first South African medical scheme to publish its 2027 contributions, and its headline is an average weighted increase of 8.9% for 60% of its members. Curemed has compared the Fedhealth 2026 and 2027 contribution tables for the remaining options, and 13 of the 14 flexiFED and Executive options rise by more than that figure, with increases reaching 13.5%.
In short: Fedhealth increase 2027
- Fedhealth published its 2027 position on 15 September 2026, the first South African scheme to do so.
- The published 8.9% average weighted increase applies to 60% of members, not to the whole scheme.
- Curemed analysis shows 13 of the 14 flexiFED and Executive options rising by more than 8.9%, in a range of 8.4% to 13.5%.
- Risk benefit limits and Savings allocations rise 3.9%, no risk benefits are cut, and new benefits are added.
- Option changes must reach Fedhealth by 30 November 2026 and take effect on 1 January 2027.
What has Fedhealth published for 2027?
On 15 September 2026 Fedhealth set out its 2027 position for Advisors in a broker news article on the Fedhealth story for 2027. On contributions it confirmed three option-level figures: a 0% increase on the two new sureFEDEssential and sureFEDPlus Traditional Plans, 8% on myFED, and 8.4% on flexiFEDSavvy. It then drew this conclusion:
As a result, 60% of our members will experience an average weighted increase of only 8.9%.
Fedhealth also states that all risk-benefit limits will increase by 3.9%, with no risk benefits cut or shifted into Savings, and that Savings allocations on flexiFED Savings and Executive Plans will increase by 3.9%. The scheme now offers five ranges: Traditional Options, Hospital Plans, Savings Plans, an Income-banded Plan and Executive Plans.
That is a fair record. Fedhealth held two plans at 0%, kept flexiFEDSavvy, which has an average member age of 31, at 8.4%, and states that contribution increases were shaped to protect affordability rather than to claw back value elsewhere.
Which members does the 8.9% figure cover?
The 8.9% is scoped by Fedhealth to 60% of members, and Fedhealth does not present it as a scheme-wide average. No scheme-wide weighted average increase for 2027 has been published.
That leaves the members on the other flexiFED and Executive options, for whom no percentage has been published. Curemed has therefore calculated the increases option by option from the tables Fedhealth has released. Our purpose is to complete the picture, not to dispute the figure Fedhealth published.
How much do the flexiFED and Executive options rise in 2027?
The table below is Curemed analysis. We compared the principal member contribution in the Fedhealth flexiFED Hospital Plans Rates and Benefits Guide 2026 with the same option in the Fedhealth Combined Contributions 2027 document, and did the same for the Executive plans.
| Option | 2026 principal member | 2027 principal member | Rand increase | Percentage increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| flexiFEDSavvy | R1 155 | R1 252 | R97 | 8.4% |
| flexiFED 1 | R2 630 | R2 885 | R255 | 9.7% |
| flexiFED 1Elect | R2 051 | R2 250 | R199 | 9.7% |
| flexiFED 2 | R4 147 | R4 600 | R453 | 10.9% |
| flexiFED 2GRID | R3 719 | R4 126 | R407 | 10.9% |
| flexiFED 2Elect | R3 104 | R3 443 | R339 | 10.9% |
| flexiFED 3 | R4 946 | R5 614 | R668 | 13.5% |
| flexiFED 3GRID | R4 436 | R5 035 | R599 | 13.5% |
| flexiFED 3Elect | R3 705 | R4 205 | R500 | 13.5% |
| flexiFED 4 | R6 620 | R7 515 | R895 | 13.5% |
| flexiFED 4GRID | R5 931 | R6 733 | R802 | 13.5% |
| flexiFED 4Elect | R4 958 | R5 628 | R670 | 13.5% |
| maxima EXEC | R12 273 | R13 839 | R1 566 | 12.8% |
| maxima PLUS | R19 393 | R21 537 | R2 144 | 11.1% |
Of these 14 options, 13 rise by more than 8.9%. Only flexiFEDSavvy, at 8.4%, comes in under it. The range runs from 8.4% to 13.5%, and every option in the flexiFED 3 and flexiFED 4 families, including the GRID and Elect variants, sits at 13.5%.
How did Curemed check these figures?
Before publishing we tested our method against the two option-level figures Fedhealth itself released. Our calculation gives flexiFEDSavvy 8.4%, matching the 8.4% Fedhealth published, and myFED 8.0%, matching the 8% Fedhealth published. Because the method reproduces the published figures exactly, we are confident in the remaining figures.
Why does the gap between contributions and benefit limits matter?
On the flexiFED 3 and flexiFED 4 families, contributions rise 13.5% for 2027. Fedhealth states that risk benefit limits rise 3.9%. On those options the contribution is rising roughly three and a half times faster than the benefit limits it buys.
That is not a criticism of the benefit design. Fedhealth has preserved risk benefits, and the 3.9% is a real increase in cover. It is simply arithmetic a member on those options should understand before the option selection deadline.
Take a flexiFED 4 principal member as a concrete example. In 2026 the gross monthly contribution is R6 620. In 2027 it is R7 515, an increase of R895 per month. Over a full year that is R10 740 more for the same option, before any adult or child dependants are added.
How do the myFED income bands change for 2027?
myFED is the Income-banded Plan, and Fedhealth published its 8% increase directly. Our table confirms that figure at every band. The income bands themselves moved between 2026 and 2027, so the comparison is band position against band position rather than identical rand thresholds.
| 2026 income band | 2026 principal member | 2027 income band | 2027 principal member | Percentage increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 to R11 063 | R1 719 | R1 to R11 494 | R1 857 | 8.0% |
| R11 064 to R15 617 | R1 971 | R11 495 to R16 226 | R2 129 | 8.0% |
| R15 618 to R21 651 | R2 453 | R16 227 to R22 495 | R2 649 | 8.0% |
| R21 652 plus | R4 052 | R22 496 plus | R4 376 | 8.0% |
Because the thresholds have shifted, a member whose income sits close to a band boundary may be placed differently in 2027. That is a point to check with an Advisor rather than to assume.
What benefits do members gain for 2027?
The other side of the ledger deserves equal space. Fedhealth has added benefits for 2027, and the detail is set out in the Intermedia Launch Edition 2026 adviser newsletter.
- D2D+ limits rise across eligible options, providing up to R4 680 in additional day-to-day benefits when members take the required proactive health steps.
- Psychiatric hospitalisation limits increase, up to 94% higher on flexiFED 4, and the mental health programme extends to sureFEDPlus, flexiFED 2 and flexiFED 3.
- A new specialised eye care benefit for macular degeneration treatment is introduced on flexiFED 4, funded up to R30 000.
- Funded Diabetes Educator consultations double from one to two per year, with expanded pharmacy-based access, plus a CGM Device Benefit for members with Type 1 Diabetes on flexiFED 4, maxima EXEC and maxima PLUS.
- A new RSV vaccination benefit is introduced on flexiFED 4, maxima EXEC and maxima PLUS, and the Alignd Palliative Care Programme extends across all options.
Several of these additions land on flexiFED 4, which is also one of the options rising 13.5%. Members on that option pay more, but they also receive more than a 3.9% limit adjustment alone would suggest.
What should Fedhealth members do before 30 November 2026?
The Fedhealth Option Selection Form 2027 states that the form must be received by no later than 30 November 2026, and that option changes are only effective on 1 January each year. A member who wants a different option for 2027 therefore has two months from the date of this article to decide and submit the form.
Find your option in the table above, note the rand increase and read the benefit changes for that option. If the 2027 contribution no longer fits the household budget, compare the neighbouring options on the same scheme before looking further afield. Our guide on how to choose a medical aid in South Africa sets out the questions to work through.
Curemed has advised South African families on medical aid and Gap Cover since 1992, and our Advisors can run the 2027 numbers for your family structure and income band. If you would like a second opinion before the deadline, start with our medical aid comparison service. There is no obligation to move.
What are the limits of this analysis?
- All figures are gross monthly contributions for the principal member. Adult and child dependant rates differ, and members can add back-up savings on top.
- Percentages other than those Fedhealth published are Curemed calculations from Fedhealth published tables. Fedhealth may later publish a scheme-wide weighted average that differs from any single option figure, because a weighted average reflects how many members sit on each option.
- Contributions and benefits are set out in the registered rules of the scheme, and amendments are valid only once approved by the Registrar.
Which other questions come up about the Fedhealth 2027 increase?
Can a Fedhealth member move to a cheaper option for 2027?
Yes, provided the Option Selection Form reaches Fedhealth by 30 November 2026. A member on flexiFED 3 or flexiFED 4 has several alternatives within the scheme, including the GRID and Elect variants shown in the table at lower contributions. A lower contribution usually means a change in benefits or conditions, so compare both.
What happens to members who do nothing before the deadline?
Members who take no action remain on their current option and pay the 2027 contribution for it from 1 January 2027. For a flexiFED 4 principal member that is R7 515 per month. Because option changes are only effective on 1 January, a member who misses the window will generally wait until the next annual cycle. Our article on changing a medical aid plan mid-year explains what is and is not possible between windows.
Will other South African medical schemes follow with similar increases?
As at 29 September 2026 Fedhealth is the only scheme to have published 2027 contributions, so there is nothing yet to compare it with and we will not speculate. We update our medical aid increase 2027 tracker for South Africa as each scheme publishes.
Is the 0% on sureFEDEssential and sureFEDPlus a full year-on-year comparison?
No. sureFEDEssential and sureFEDPlus only launched in June 2026, so the 0% for 2027 is measured against their June 2026 launch rates rather than against a full year of 2026 contributions. The hold is genuine, but it is not directly comparable with the year-on-year comparison used for the other options in this article.
Where can members read the Fedhealth source documents themselves?
Everything in this article comes from documents Fedhealth has published: the broker news article of 15 September 2026, the Combined Contributions 2027 document and the Option Selection Form 2027. The Fedhealth documents and downloads page hosts the current forms and guides, and we encourage members to read the primary sources alongside our analysis.
