Parliament of the Republic of South Africa Country Resources General Health Legislation South Africa 1 February 1999 Legislation/regulation

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The Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998

The Medical Schemes Act changed the law governing private medical schemes to re-establish the principle of cross-subsidisation between healthy and sick members of medical schemes. The Act makes it illegal for a medical scheme to refuse membership to a person on the ground of his or her “state of health”.

Specifically, this Act intends: to consolidate the laws relating to registered medical schemes; to provide for the establishment of the Council for Medical Schemes as a juristic person; to provide for the appointment of the Registrar of Medical Schemes; to make provision for the registration and control of certain activities of medical schemes; to protect the interests of members of medical schemes; to provide for measures for the co-ordination of medical schemes; and to provide for incidental matters.

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