Good health gives members the freedom to live life to the full – to work, care for their families, make plans for the future and look forward to what comes next.
It 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. Members need the right support to stay well, understand their health, make informed choices, and have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the right care is available as their needs change.
Advisers play an important part in helping people find that support. You help clients look beyond a list of benefits and contributions to choose cover that fits their health needs, life stage, family and budget.
At Fedhealth, we believe 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 are rising while household budgets are stretched. The choices families make about their health can affect their finances, and their financial circumstances can shape the care available to them.
We want Fedhealth to recognise that connection – helping members stay well, access care, understand their health and act earlier, while finding new ways for the cover 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 encouraging earlier engagement, so that we can offer support before treatment becomes more complex or costly.
Invest in your future reflects the bigger opportunity. From this health foundation, we believe medical aid should form part of how individuals and families plan for the years ahead, with 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.
This approach transforms medical aid from a necessary expense into a catalyst for long-term financial wellbeing.
More choice for more advice conversations
With the introduction of sureFEDEssential and sureFEDPlus, we now offer five distinct ranges: Traditional Options, Hospital Plans, Savings Plans, Income-banded Plan and Executive Plans.
This gives advisers greater scope to match individual members and employer groups with cover suited to their healthcare needs, life stage and budget – all within one scheme.
Affordability remains a priority. The two new sureFED Traditional Plans will receive a 0% contribution increase for 2027. myFED will increase by 8%, while flexiFEDSavvy will increase by 8.4%. As a result, 60% of our members will experience an average weighted increase of only 8.9%.
flexiFEDSavvy remains our fastest-growing option, with an average member age of 31, making it particularly attractive for younger and affordability-conscious members.
The benefit picture gives advisers even more to work with. All risk-benefit limits will increase by 3.9%, with no risk benefits cut or shifted into Savings. Savings allocations on flexiFED Savings and Executive Plans will also increase by 3.9%. D2D+ limits will rise across eligible options, providing up to R4 680 in additional day-to-day benefits when members take the required proactive health steps.
We are also expanding support for mental health, diabetes, maternity, specialised eye care and palliative care. A new RSV vaccination benefit will be introduced on flexiFED 4, maxima EXEC and maxima PLUS, while the Alignd Palliative Care Programme will extend across all options
A more active relationship with members
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, wearable integration, goal setting, nudges and an expanded rewards experience.
The aim is to help members understand their health and seek support earlier. This can improve outcomes, reduce the need for more complex interventions and support the long-term sustainability of the cover advisers recommend.
We also want to explore how health engagement can contribute to members’ longer-term financial wellbeing. One example is already in place: qualifying members with a Sanlam Premier Smart risk product receive an additional 15% of their monthly risk premium into their Wealth Bonus. This has already added more than R5.3 million in value for our members.
We are developing further innovations and will share them once they are ready for market.
For advisers, this creates a more rounded conversation for 2027 – from affordability and range, to earlier health support and new opportunities to create financial value. It gives you more ways to help members and corporate clients choose cover that fits their needs now, while preparing for the years ahead.