· Built around the Percentage increase calculator
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Your medical scheme sends a letter with next year's contribution, usually as a new rand amount per member and dependant. The scheme quotes an average increase across all its plans; your own increase can be higher or lower. Type the two amounts below and the calculator does the rest.
Your increase in rand and percent
Put last year's total monthly contribution in Old amount and the new one in New amount. The percentage increase calculator shows the change in rand, the percentage to two decimals, the extra over twelve months, and how the new premium compares with one that had only risen with inflation.
The example in the box: R14 737 - R12 983 = R1 754 a month. R1 754 / R12 983 x 100 = 13.51%. Twelve months of R1 754 is R21 048. Had the premium risen only with 4.5% inflation it would be R13 567.24, so this increase is R1 169.77 a month above inflation - a real increase of 8.62%.
What the schemes announced for 2027
These are the average increases reported for 2027, effective from 1 January 2027 and subject to approval by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS):
- Bonitas: 8.7% on average.
- Discovery Health: 8.2% weighted average.
- Momentum Health: 7.9%.
- Medihelp: 7.5%.
- Bestmed: 7.35%.
All five are above Stats SA's headline inflation of 4.5% for September 2026. If your own increase is well above your scheme's average, the usual reasons are a plan that rose more than the average, a dependant moving into an adult rate, or an option change - check the letter before you compare.
Not verified from a primary source: the scheme averages above are as reported by Moonstone (5 October 2026), not read from each scheme's own announcement. News reports say the CMS set a 3.8% guideline for 2027 increases (Circular 20 of 2026) plus an allowance for "reasonable utilisation", and that the 2026 guideline was 3.3% against an approved industry average of 8.10% - we did not read the circulars themselves.
What R5 000 a month becomes
On a R5 000 monthly contribution, the announced averages work out like this:
- At 8.7%: R5 435 a month, R435 more a month, R5 220 more a year.
- At 8.2%: R5 410 a month, R410 more a month, R4 920 more a year.
- In line with 4.5% inflation it would have been R5 225 - R185 a month less than at 8.2%.
Some of it comes back as a tax credit
SARS gives a fixed medical scheme fees tax credit per member and dependant, so a higher premium does not raise your credit - the whole increase comes out of your pocket. See what the credit is worth with the medical aid tax credit calculator, and your pay after it with take-home pay. Thinking of leaving your scheme to save the increase? Check the late joiner penalty before you do - rejoining at 35 or older can cost far more than the increase.
Sources
- 2027 average increases - Bonitas 8.7%, Discovery 8.2%, Momentum 7.9%, Medihelp 7.5%, Bestmed 7.35%: Moonstone, Bonitas raises contributions by 8.7% (5 October 2026), read by CalcSA 27 October 2026. Not verified from a primary source.
- CMS 2027 guideline of 3.8% (Circular 20 of 2026) and the 2026 guideline of 3.3% against an 8.10% approved average: news coverage including Moonstone and BusinessTech. Not verified from a primary source.
- Headline CPI 4.5% year on year, September 2026: Stats SA, Consumer Price Index P0141, September 2026 (released 21 October 2026).
- Worked example: CalcSA, percentage change = (new - old) / old x 100; checked in PowerShell.
Calculators used in this post
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