The Community Medical Aid Scheme (Commed) was placed under provisional curatorship by order of court on 2 June 2017. The provisional curator, Deon van Wyk, took charge of the affairs of Commed in terms of the court order and acts under instruction of the Registrar of Medical Schemes (Registrar).

It became apparent to the provisional curator that Commed was experiencing financial difficulties and he reported this to the Registrar and the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS). Acting pursuant to section 7(a) of the Medical Schemes Act, which requires the regulator to protect the interests of members of medical schemes, the Registrar instructed the provisional curator to try to ensure that members were not prejudiced by the state of affairs in which Commed finds itself. A statement in this regard from the regulator can be found at: www.medicalschemes.com

Acting on instruction from the Registrar, Van Wyk has negotiated with Bonitas Medical Fund that all Commed members be moved to Bonitas. The parties have entered into an agreement to give effect to this and Commed members will be moved to Bonitas with effect from 7 August 2017.

In terms of the agreement reached between Commed and Bonitas, all members will be moved without underwriting and without waiting periods being applied. This means that members will transfer to Bonitas without break in cover. All claims payable in terms of services obtained by members until 6 August 2017 will be paid by Commed, and all claims incurred from 7 August 2017 will be covered by Bonitas.

Members who do not wish to remain with Bonitas or who wish to change their allocated Bonitas benefit option will be free to do so by informing Bonitas accordingly.

The schemes are confident that the move of the Commed members to Bonitas is in the interests of the members to ensure that members do not find themselves without medical cover going forward.