Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Amendment Bill Tabled
Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Amendment Bill [B25-2025] was formally tabled in the National Assembly on 9 October 2025.
In terms of the proposed legislative changes, the Bill seeks to amend the Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Act, No. 28 of 1975. The primary regulatory shift involves substituting the current requirement for compulsory membership of the Parmed Medical Aid Scheme with a provision for voluntary membership. This amendment was introduced as a private member’s bill by ActionSA MP Tebogo Letlape following a call for public input that concluded on 1 October 2025.
The Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Amendment Bill [B25-2025] targets the following categories of public office bearers:
- Members of the National Assembly;
- Permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces; and
- Members of provincial legislatures.
The draft legislation is intended to remove the ‘exclusive’ nature of the current scheme, which the proposer argues separates political leadership from the healthcare realities faced by the general public. If the Bill passes the required desirability test by the relevant National Assembly committee, it will allow MPs and MPLs to select their own medical cover rather than being restricted to the Parmed system.
Click here to download the Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Amendment Bill [B25-2025].
What this means for you, your business, or your clients
- For yourself: No direct individual obligations; the proposed changes apply exclusively to the statutory medical aid requirements for members of Parliament and provincial legislatures.
- For your business: Medical scheme administrators and healthcare consultants should monitor the Bill’s progress, as a shift to voluntary membership would create a new, albeit small, market segment for private medical aid products tailored for high-level public officials.
- For your clients: Clients in the healthcare and insurance sectors should note this as a potential shift in policy regarding ‘closed’ statutory schemes and an indicator of the political climate regarding universal health coverage and public-private healthcare parity.
Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/parliament-action-sa-tackles-politicians-exclusive-medical-scheme