Unions Reject Government Employees Medical Scheme’s Proposed 13.4% Increase

• The Government Employees Medical Scheme's subscription increased by 13.4% for the 2025 financial year
• The Public Servants Association slammed the increase and pointed out that this would cause a salary decrease for public servants
• South Africans opined that medical aid for public servants will soon become unaffordable

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News's current affairs journalist, covered current affairs relating to the economy, finance, banks, and state-owned enterprises during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG—The Public Servants Association (PSA) worries that the 13.4% increase in the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) for 2025 will make medical aid unaffordable for government employees.

GEMS increases subscription rate

According to TimesLIVE, PSA met with the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council and other unions, which rejected the increase wholeheartedly. PSA complained that the increase in GEMS, an affordable medical aid for public servants, could impact government employees' salaries.

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PSA said that the increase would decrease the salaries of government employees, making medical aid more expensive and unaffordable. The union added that many members are considering cancelling their membership as the increased subscription rate would make it difficult for them to make ends meet.

South Africans worried

Netizens on Facebook expressed concern that public workers would have to pay more for medical aid.

LEset Khutso said:

"GEMS is soon going to be unaffordable, more especially for the pensioners. This medical aid is one of the most expensive."

Mologadi Mantsho said:

"Not only GEMS but all medical aids have become unaffordable, but we don't have a choice because state facilities are a mess."

Onke Mda said:

"Maybe medical aids want to get maximum profit before the NHI kicks in."

Zenith Mahomed said:

"Something needs to be done, and our voices need to be heard."

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Darren X Villa said:

"The prices are crazy. There should be a regulatory policy on medical aid prices."

Joe Phaahla discourages cancelling medical aid

In a related article, Briefly News reported that former Minister of Health Joe Phaahla discouraged people from cancelling their medical aid. This was shortly after the National Health Insurance Act was signed into law in May.

Phaahla said that the government will take up to five years to roll out the NHI in its current form. South Africans believed President Cyril Ramaphosa used the law's signing as an electioneering tool for the 2024 general elections.

Source: Briefly News