ActionSA on Tuesday announced its intention to table the Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme (PARMED) Amendment Bill in Parliament, which seeks to end compulsory membership in the scheme for Members of Parliament (MPs) and other public office bearers, instead making membership in this scheme voluntary.

ActionSA Member of Parliament Dr Kgosi Letlape said public officials have been “shielded by a medical aid scheme exclusive to them”, and cut off from the struggles of South Africans who rely on public healthcare services.

The Amendment Bill forms part of ActionSA’s broader mission to ensure that public representatives experience the same realities as the people they serve.

“By making PARMED voluntary, this Bill restores the freedom of choice for MPs and judges to either remain on PARMED, join a different medical aid scheme, or, importantly, make use of public healthcare facilities like the people they represent,” said Letlape.

He pointed out that the costs of compulsory PARMED membership had become increasingly unsustainable, with deductions running into thousands of rands each month for members who often do not want or need the scheme.

“…more critically, compulsory membership entrenches a double standard where public representatives enjoy a level of healthcare access that the majority of citizens can only dream of,” he added.

Letlape said the PARMED Amendment Bill was, therefore, also about accountability, as it aligned the interests of public representatives with the citizens they served.

“If MPs and Ministers are forced to use public healthcare, there will be a direct political incentive to fix the system that millions depend on,” he highlighted.

The party is asking members of the public to send through their support for the Bill by September 28 to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza via email speaker@parliament.gov.za and copied to parliament@actionsa.org.za.