Photo suppliedIt underpins every part of life and looking after it is an ongoing journey – whether that means proactively staying healthy, managing known risks, or dealing with health events as they happen. That requires the right support to help us stay well, understand our health, and make informed choices, and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the right care is available as our needs change.
At Fedhealth, we believe that medical aid should be an active partner in that journey. It can protect the health and lives our members are building today, while opening new opportunities to support the future they are planning. That belief sits behind the new brand purpose we are setting in motion for Fedhealth as we look towards 2027:
Protect your health. Invest in your future
This direction recognises not only how important good health is to our members, but also how closely health and financial wellbeing are connected. People are living longer, often while managing chronic conditions over many years. Healthcare costs continue to rise while household budgets are already stretched. The choices families make about their health can affect their finances, and their financial circumstances can shape the care available to them.
That is why we want Fedhealth to play a broader, more supportive role throughout our members’ lives – helping them stay well, access care, understand their health and act on risks earlier, while finding new ways for the medical aid they already pay for to contribute to the future they are building.
Protect your health speaks to what a medical scheme must do well: provide dependable access to care, help members manage health risks and protect families from unexpected medical costs. It also means helping members engage with their health earlier. When they understand the risks and act on them sooner, we can provide support before treatment becomes more complex or costly and give them a better chance of staying healthier for longer.
Invest in your future reflects how that health foundation can be supported by greater financial security. Many South African households carry high levels of debt, while pressure on everyday budgets makes it difficult to save enough for the future. Over time, this can leave people less prepared for retirement and make it harder to afford the medical aid and care that can help them stay healthy later in life.
That is why we believe medical aid should become part of how individuals and families plan for the years ahead, with access to related products and benefits that can reduce costs or help members build wealth. Our partnership with Sanlam already provides some of the first practical examples of how this can work.
By bringing health and financial planning closer together, we want to help members look after both – now and in the years ahead. Ultimately, a future worth investing in requires good health to enjoy it.
What this means for members in 2027
Affordability remains a priority. Our new Traditional options, sureFED Essential and sureFED Plus, will receive a 0% contribution increase for 2027. myFED will increase by 8%, while flexiFED Savvy – designed for younger members and our fastest-growing option – will increase by only 8.4%. As a result, 60% of our members will experience an average weighted increase of 8.9%.
But price is only part of the picture.
All our risk-benefit limits increase by 3.9% in 2027, with no risk benefits cut or shifted into Savings.
Savings allocations on flexiFED Savings and Executive Plans also increase by 3.9%.
D2D+ limits increase across eligible options, giving you up to R4 680 in additional day-to-day benefits when you take the required proactive health steps.
We’ve also made a number of targeted healthcare enhancements. Mental health support expands to more options, while we’re improving diabetes care, maternity, specialised eye care and palliative care.
We’re introducing a new RSV vaccination benefit on flexiFED 4, maxima EXEC and maxima PLUS, and expanding the Alignd Palliative Care Programme across all our options.
The bigger change, however, is how we want you to interact with your medical aid.
Engaging with your health data for longer-term financial gain
In early 2027, we plan to participate in the first version of a new Health Engagement Platform by Sanlam. Planned features include Health Scores, digital assessments, AI-enabled Lifestyle Age and Coaching, exercise and sleep integration through wearables, goal setting, nudges and an expanded rewards experience.
The idea is simple: the more you understand your health, the earlier you can act on it – and the more we can support and reward you for doing so.
We also want to explore how better health engagement can contribute towards your longer-term financial wellbeing through our relationship with Sanlam.
One example is already in place. If you qualify with a Sanlam Premier Smart risk product, you receive an additional 15% of your monthly risk premium into your Wealth Bonus, and this has already added more than R5.3 million in additional value for our members.
We’re still developing further innovations and will share these with you once they are ready to take to market.
Our promise is to support you throughout your health journey – helping you stay well, understand your risks and access care when you need it, while creating new opportunities to build a more financially secure future. DM