What percentage of SA do you think has medical aid?

[InternetSwag]

Recently been looking into getting medical aid for me and wifey. Can't really seem to get anything decent under 6k for the two of us.

Made me wonder, what population of SA actually even has medical aid.
As a kid I was on my parents, for free, as they worked for government. So I never thought about it too much.

But yeah, I highly doubt most South Africans have 3k a month to spare after paying rent, food, car, bills etc.

 

[diapason]

I think it's about 16%.

 

[InternetSwag]

I think it's about 16%.

Crazy. This is supposed to be something accessible to all

 

[Sinbad]

I think it's about 16%.

I'm sure it is less than that

/edit I see last year it was about 9 million members and dependants, so yeah about 15 percent

 

[Dimpie (COMPUTEK)]

Been off medical aid for a long time now ... It's crazy expensive and I can't afford it

 

[rvZA]

Crazy. This is supposed to be something accessible to all

Unfortunately, this cannot happen. Never happened anywhere in the world. Instead a government has a responsibility to work better with taxes and provide better and more affordible health care to all. Even this is a problem and not always possible, hence the reason private healthcare has a role to play too.

 

[diapason]

South Africa: share of medical aid scheme members, by population group | Statista

As of 2021, 16.1 percent of all individuals in South Africa were members of medical aid schemes.

www.statista.com

 

[Sinbad]

When only 11% population pays tax how come 16% population has medical aid? Taking into account dependents I believe or it may be lies/damn lies/statistics.

Not really. If each member (the tax payer) has one dependant (non tax player) it doubles the number of people on medical aid.

 

[Speedster]

Recently been looking into getting medical aid for me and wifey. Can't really seem to get anything decent under 6k for the two of us.

Made me wonder, what population of SA actually even has medical aid.
As a kid I was on my parents, for free, as they worked for government. So I never thought about it too much.

But yeah, I highly doubt most South Africans have 3k a month to spare after paying rent, food, car, bills etc.

I pay less than that for a family of 5?

 

[Speedster]

When only 11% population pays tax how come 16% population has medical aid? Taking into account dependents I believe or it may be lies/damn lies/statistics.

Any and every South African who buys anything pays tax. I have no idea where this notion that only 11% (or whichever other number is flavour of the month) comes from.

 

[Sinbad]

Any and every South African who buys anything pays tax. I have no idea where this notion that only 11% (or whichever other number is flavour of the month) comes from.

People conflate PAYE for taxpaying.

 

[HavocXphere]

This is supposed to be something accessible to all

What makes you think that?

 

[6spdmanual]

Hospital plan for the win.

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

People conflate PAYE for taxpaying.

It is by far the biggest contributor...

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

Any and every South African who buys anything pays tax. I have no idea where this notion that only 11% (or whichever other number is flavour of the month) comes from.

Obviously "everybody" pays tax...If I only buy 1 bottle of milk the whole year and nothing else...I have paid tax, havent't I ?

So that is not the point. The biggest contributor is PAYE...simple.

 

[RedViking]

It's expensive. It's for the privileged only. Even though all tax payers deserve decent healthcare. But Africa....

 

[TheMightyQuinn]

PAYE, VAT, Rates & Taxes, Fuel Levy, Captital gains etc. are all different things for different people and only few fortunate ones fall into PAYE category and leeches like govt and vote bank suck onto it.

PAYE #1

Fuel Levy #6

Other taxes ( rates, capital gins etc) #8

 

[JibbersCrabst]

Was on Profmed for 10 years + being an average healthy 35 yo. Besides one dental issue, never submitted any other claim in the period. Calculated what I paid in the time and it's pretty scary.

Married a teacher last year and couldn't resist the GEMS benefits.

 

[Sinbad]

Obviously "everybody" pays tax...If I only buy 1 bottle of milk the whole year and nothing else...I have paid tax, havent't I ?

So that is not the point. The biggest contributor is PAYE...simple.

No. Milk is zero rated

 

[Speedster]

PAYE, VAT, Rates & Taxes, Fuel Levy, Captital gains etc. are all different things for different people and only few fortunate ones fall into PAYE category and leeches like govt and vote bank suck onto it.

I know they're all different, but they're all still taxes. Just because an individual doesn't pay income tax doesn't mean they don't pay any tax. Virtually every South African adult is a tax payer. Certainly some contribute a lot more than others, but government profligacy isn't only funded by a few.