CGMS beats industry to market with mid-year Efficiency Discounted Options

July benefit expansion breaks convention to deliver meaningful savings

The Consumer Goods Medical Scheme (CGMS) today announced two newly approved Efficiency Discounted options, available from 1 July 2026. CoreSave Select and UltraSave Select will expand member choice and deliver meaningful savings, months ahead of the industry’s traditional benefit cycle.

“Building on the successful October 2025 launch of CoreSave and UltraSave, the Council for Medical Schemes’ (CMS) approval of our new Select variants comes at a critical time,” says Ian Isdale, member-elected Trustee of CGMS.

“Mid-year is when many medical scheme members are stretched thin, with benefits running low and expenses mounting. As a scheme created specifically for the consumer goods sector and its people, we exist to relieve these pressures. That’s why we’re bringing these new, more flexible cover options to market from July, expanding access to affordable, quality healthcare and ensuring that more people in the consumer goods industry can benefit from enhanced choice and value without delay.”

Efficiency Discounted options are designed around members' willingness to limit their choice of provider in a restricted network. The CGMS Efficiency Discounted options include all Netcare hospitals nationwide, as well as the independent NHN hospital group. Members choosing these options stand to benefit from savings of up to R912 per month on CoreSave Select or R4 872 per month on UltraSave Select for a family of four.

According to Carl Yssel, Health Actuary and Partner at 3ONE Consulting Actuaries: “CGMS’s mid-year implementation is refreshing. While the industry mostly waits for year-end benefit changes, CGMS has responded in record time by delivering new benefit options to members in July. This responsiveness promptly benefits members, with a high level of innovation built on the solid foundation of a 44% solvency ratio. By continuing to deliver a complete product suite, the scheme meets healthcare needs and benefit design preferences across all price points.”

Since transitioning from Tiger Brands Medical Scheme at the end of 2024 to become an inclusive, industry-wide scheme, CGMS has steadily enhanced its member offering. This evolution has expanded access to healthcare for a broader range of consumer goods employees, with the new Efficiency Discounted options marking the latest step forward.

“We are not waiting for traditional timelines when we can deliver value now for those seeking a savings component to their cover. Being embedded in this industry means we see our members’ needs in real time. When employers tell us that affordability is keeping flexible healthcare out of reach for some of their employees, we act. These network options are about giving every employee in the sector, from head office to factory floor, healthcare choices that fit their lives and pockets,” continues Isdale.

While CoreSave Select and UltraSave Select utilise network efficiencies to deliver savings options at significantly reduced contribution rates, it is important to appreciate that immediate access to any hospital in life-threatening emergencies remains available to members and is not in any way limited, upholding CGMS’s commitment to member protection.

With the newly approved options now ready for market, CGMS is offering members a highly competitive suite of benefit options, ensuring all employees in the consumer goods sector can access healthcare cover that suits their roles and budgets.

“The mid-year launch demonstrates what industry-specific schemes can achieve when they truly understand their members. We’re not just another medical scheme, we’re part of the consumer goods family, and that means being there when it matters most,” concluded Isdale.