Sizwe Hosmed medical aid in 2026: curatorship, plans, the old Hosmed and what to check first

A curator is appointed by the court to run a scheme in trouble, and the trustees step aside. It does not mean the scheme has closed. Claims are being paid: the scheme reports about R14 million a week, and R100 million of resigned members' savings balances has been refunded, with the rest waiting on updated banking details.

Timeline in brief:

• Before curatorship the solvency ratio had fallen to 5.6% in June 2025, well under the 25% minimum, according to reports of the court order.
• Curatorship began on 4 September 2025. A new curator was appointed in February 2026.
• Solvency was back at 40% by the end of August 2026.
• The scheme moved to self-administration on 1 September 2026.
• When curatorship ends, a new Principal Officer will be appointed and members will elect a new Board of Trustees. The end date is a projection and depends on regulatory and governance processes.

Some unionised municipal workers affiliated to SALGA were given the go-ahead to leave the scheme early after complaints about service levels. The size of the membership has fallen sharply since the merger, when the two schemes had 46 900 and 21 000 members. The scheme aims to grow principal members to between 12 000 and 15 000 in the upcoming open period, and it launched its 2027 product portfolio on 29 September 2026, with details not yet published on its site when this page was updated.

• Open medical scheme (formed by the merger of Sizwe Medical Fund and Hosmed Medical Scheme, effective 1 November 2021) that has been under provisional curatorship since 4 September 2025 on the application of the Council for Medical Schemes; as of 1 September 2026 it is self-administered and curatorship is projected to end in September 2027. (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• 2026 contribution increase: 19.15% contribution increase, brought forward to 1 November 2025 (the curator confirmed no further increase in January 2026); benefits increased 5% from 1 January 2026. (iol.co.za)
• Sizwe Hosmed has been under provisional curatorship since 4 September 2025. The Gauteng High Court appointed Ms Lebogang Grace Mpakati as provisional curator and dissolved the Board of Trustees; the curatorship was granted on the CMS's application over solvency concerns, non-compliance and severe operational distress. (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• A new curator, Ian Fleming, was appointed in February 2026 (announcement dated 12 February 2026; his first update dated 26 February 2026). (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• Solvency was 40% at the end of August 2026, above the statutory minimum, with reserves of R440 million. It had been reported at 5.6% (June 2025) and 6.62% (July 2025) before curatorship. (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• Solvency before curatorship: 36.5% in November 2021 after the merger, 25.45% in November 2022, 5.6% in June 2025 and 6.62% in July 2025, as cited from the court order. (fanews.co.za)
• The scheme moved to self-administration on 1 September 2026 and says curatorship is now projected to end in September 2027, subject to regulatory and governance processes. At the end a new Principal Officer will be appointed and members will elect a new Board of Trustees. (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• The scheme is launching its 2027 product portfolio on 29 September 2026 (today); details were not yet published on the site when checked. It aims to grow principal members from 8 662 to between 12 000 and 15 000 in the upcoming open period. (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• Contributions rose from 1 November 2025 (for example Essential Copper up R602 for a main member to R3 625, Titanium Executive up R1 949 to R11 737) and benefits rose 5% from 1 January 2026. (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• Claims are being paid weekly at about R14 million a week and R100 million of resigned members' savings (MSA) balances has been refunded, with the remainder waiting on updated banking details. (sizwehosmed.co.za)
• Unionised municipal workers (SALGA-affiliated) were given the green light to leave Sizwe Hosmed early, after complaints about service levels. (iol.co.za)
• Extras listed on the 2026 contribution page: free health screenings at Clicks pharmacies, Hospital at Home through Quro Medical, home visits and chronic support with Linova Health, and up to 10 maternity consultations. (sizwehosmed.co.za)

Sizwe Hosmed Medical Scheme publishes 8 benefit options for 2026. Prices are the monthly contribution for a main member as published by Sizwe Hosmed. Adult and child dependants pay extra. Checked on 29 September 2026.

Sources: sizwehosmed.co.za/plans/access-core-2026, sizwehosmed.co.za/plans/essential-copper-2026, sizwehosmed.co.za/plans/access-saver-2026, sizwehosmed.co.za/plans/gold-ascend-2026, sizwehosmed.co.za/plans/value-platinum-2026, sizwehosmed.co.za/plans/titanium-executive-2026.

Points in its favour: it must accept any applicant, its solvency is above the legal minimum, it now administers itself, and claims are being paid weekly. It has a full ladder of plans from a hospital plan to a plan with 62 chronic conditions.

Points against: the scheme is small and has lost members, it raised contributions 19.15% in November 2025, and the plan line-up for 2027 is still unpublished. Its curatorship end date is a projection, and a new Board and Principal Officer are still to come.

It may suit you if you are already a member and happy with the service, or if you weigh the risks above and still want what the plans offer. It is a poor fit if you need certainty about your 2027 contributions or want a scheme with a settled governance structure. If that is you, compare it with the schemes on the list of medical aid schemes and with the cheapest medical aid page.

Checked on 29 September 2026 against Sizwe Hosmed's official website. Numbers change, so confirm on the linked page before you call. A scheme will not ask you to pay into a new bank account over the phone: hang up and call the official number if anything feels off.

Sources: sizwehosmed.co.za/contact. All schemes' numbers are on our medical aid contact numbers page.

The prices in the plans and prices table are the contribution table effective 1 November 2025, which is the 2026 rate. The plans are:

The scheme's pages give different chronic condition counts for Value Platinum, so ask the scheme for the exact number that applies.

Contributions rose by 19.15% on 1 November 2025, brought forward from the usual date, and the curator confirmed there was no further increase in January 2026. Benefits rose 5% from 1 January 2026. Medihelp's blog cites it as the top of the 2026 industry range, so it is worth comparing with other schemes' 2027 increases as they are announced. The CMS recommends anchoring 2027 increases at 3.8%, a benchmark rather than a hard cap.

The 2026 contribution page lists these extras: free health screenings at Clicks pharmacies, Hospital at Home through Quro Medical, home visits and chronic support with Linova Health, and up to 10 maternity consultations. The scheme also offers an app and an online member portal.

Every scheme must pay Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) in full, and the CMS says these cover 271 conditions and 26 chronic conditions.

Hosmed Medical Scheme was established in 1988 as a non-profit open scheme, with four options: Plus, Value, Access and Essential. The CMS approved its merger with Sizwe Medical Fund in late September 2021, and CMS Circular 61 of 2021, dated 29 October 2021, confirms the effective date of 1 November 2021. The Registrar approved the name Sizwe Hosmed Medical Scheme.

For you, that means:

• Existing Hosmed memberships moved into the merged scheme. If you held Hosmed cover, you are a Sizwe Hosmed member today.
• The old website, hosmed.co.za, currently shows only a maintenance page, so it has no working contact details or plan pages.
• Use the Sizwe Hosmed customer service number in the contact table on this page for any Hosmed query.
• The merger aimed at scale, but the combined scheme's solvency fell sharply and it was placed under provisional curatorship in September 2025.

Hosmed's old options are no longer on sale. The current plans are the 2026 set in the table above.

Joining: apply on sizwehosmed.co.za or through a broker. The medical aid contact numbers page also lists every scheme's official lines. As an open scheme it must accept you, but it can apply waiting periods. With no scheme cover for at least 90 days, the maximum is a 3-month general and a 12-month condition-specific waiting period. After a shorter gap the rules are narrower, and PMB treatment is excluded. A late-joiner penalty can apply from age 35: the maximum loading is 5% for 1 to 4 years of missing cover, 25% for 5 to 14 years, 50% for 15 to 24 years and 75% for 25 years or more. See the waiting periods guide and the late-joiner penalty guide.

Leaving: you have the right to move to another scheme, and your earlier cover counts when a new scheme works out waiting periods. If the change is because your employer changed or ended its scheme, the new scheme may not impose waiting periods. If you resign, give the scheme your current banking details so any savings balance can be refunded. The how to change medical aid guide has the steps and the transfer letter template helps.

The 2026/27 medical scheme fees tax credit is R376 a month for the main member, R752 for the member and one dependant, and R254 for each additional dependant.

Complain to Sizwe Hosmed first. The contact table lists an email address for complaints to the Principal Officer and a whistleblower line. Keep reference numbers and copies.

If you are still not satisfied, refer the complaint to the CMS at [email protected] with a completed complaint form and proof that you escalated to the scheme. The CMS acknowledges in writing within 6 working days and aims to finish within 120 calendar days of receiving the scheme's response and documents. See the CMS complaints guide.

Gap cover is not a medical scheme benefit. It is a health insurance product, and complaints go to the National Financial Ombud, not the CMS.