Message from the Principal Officer ›

You are our strongest link! HR practitioners play a critical role in ensuring that government employees access the benefits they are entitled to in terms of their conditions of service. One of these benefits is access to medical cover.

This section of the website was created to inform you of developments at GEMS and to provide you with relevant information to equip you to effectively assist our members and prospective members.

Over the past few years we have enjoyed unprecedented success, growing into one of the largest medical benefit schemes and the largest restricted scheme in the country! This places us at the forefront to offer government employees the very best in comprehensive cover and real value for money. In 2009, we have again listened, changed and further enhanced our benefit design to accommodate specific requests received from members.

GEMS has indeed become a force to be reckoned with, and our commitment to excellent service now extends to more than 400 000 members and 1000 000 beneficiaries. We will continue in our efforts to ensure that, in addition to our current members, as many previously uncovered and under-covered employees as possible have access to the quality care we have to offer. This will never change.

Thank you for your support. I wish each and every one of you good health and a wealth of empowerment in 2010!

Warmest regards,
Eugene Watson (Principal Officer)

Members of GEMS will benefit from ›

• Excellent healthcare benefits at affordable contribution rates
• Absolute privacy: medical information is always kept completely confidential - even from employers
• Prompt and efficient claims payment every fortnight
• Regular and efficient member communications
• Friendly and efficient customer service
• Access to extensive medical care at private facilities of members' choice
• A disease management programme to manage the treatment and costs of ongoing illnesses
• A HIV/AIDS management programme that gives members confidential care when they need it most
• An Emergency medical service that covers a wide area of South Africa