Letter to add or remove a dependant on your medical aid

Use it to add a spouse, partner, child or newborn, or to take a dependant off your membership. Which relatives can be dependants, and up to what age, is set in your scheme's rules, so check them. The scheme may ask for proof of dependency for some relatives.

If you are moving the whole family to a new scheme, use the switching letter. If you are ending membership entirely, use the cancellation letter.

[Your full name]
[ID number]
[Membership number]
[Cellphone] | [Email]
[Date]

To: The Membership Department
[Scheme name]

Subject: [ADD / REMOVE] a dependant - membership number [MEMBERSHIP NUMBER]

Dear Sir or Madam

I ask you to [add / remove] the following dependant on my membership.

Dependant's full name: [NAME]
ID number or date of birth: [ID NUMBER OR DATE OF BIRTH]
Relationship to me: [SPOUSE / PARTNER / CHILD / NEWBORN / OTHER]
Date I want this to take effect: [DATE]

[IF ADDING] I attach: [MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE / BIRTH CERTIFICATE / PROOF OF DEPENDENCY / ID COPY / PROOF OF PAST COVER].
[IF ADDING A NEWBORN] The baby was born on [DATE] during my membership. Please register the baby from the date of birth and confirm that no waiting period applies.
[IF ADDING A DEPENDANT WITH PAST COVER] Please note that [NAME] was covered by [PREVIOUS SCHEME] from [START DATE] to [END DATE].
[IF REMOVING] Please remove this dependant from [DATE].

Please confirm in writing:
1. The date the change takes effect.
2. My new monthly contribution and any waiting period or penalty that applies.
3. What the dependant needs to send you, if anything.

Yours faithfully
[Full name]
[Signature]

• Spouse: a marriage certificate. Partner: whatever proof of the relationship your scheme asks for.
• Child: a birth certificate, and proof of study or dependency if the child is above the scheme's normal age limit.
• Newborn: the birth certificate or the hospital's birth notification.
• Proof of past cover for any adult you are adding, for example a membership certificate from the old scheme.
• For removal: usually only the letter. Ask if a form is needed.

Send copies, not originals, and put the membership number on each page.

Email it to the membership address on your scheme's website or statement, or use the member portal if it has a dependant change option. Save the sent email or screenshot, and note the reference number. If you post it, use registered post.

The scheme's confirmation should state the effective date and your new contribution. Keep it, and check the next statement against it.

A scheme may not impose a general or condition-specific waiting period on a child-dependant born during the period of membership. Your scheme's rules set the deadline for registering a baby, so ask for it before the birth and register as soon as you have the birth certificate. Do not assume there is no deadline.

For an adult dependant who was not on a scheme for at least 90 days before being added, a scheme may impose up to three months of general waiting and up to 12 months of condition-specific waiting. Both are maximums. A shorter gap can still carry one of them, except for PMB treatment, and a move within 90 days after a job change or an employer changing scheme carries none. The scheme may ask for a medical report only about a condition that was advised on, diagnosed or treated in the 12 months before the application.

A late joiner is an adult dependant aged 35 or older, except someone covered continuously since before 1 April 2001. The penalty is applied only to that person's portion of the contribution, and can be recalculated when proof of past cover is produced later. A sworn affidavit is enough proof if documents cannot be obtained. See the late joiner penalty guide.

Contributions are set by income and number of dependants, not by age, sex or state of health. Ask the scheme for the new figure in writing.

For the 2026/27 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027) the medical scheme fees tax credit is R376 a month for the main member, R752 a month for the taxpayer and one dependant, and R254 a month for each additional dependant. The R752 is simply R376 for the taxpayer plus R376 for the first dependant. Removing a dependant lowers the credit. See the tax credit guide.

• Waiting to add a baby until after the scheme's deadline has passed.
• Not sending proof of past cover for an adult, and being treated as new.
• Removing a dependant with a chronic condition without knowing that re-adding later may bring waiting periods.
• Not asking for the new contribution and effective date in writing.
• Forgetting to update your debit order if the scheme does not.