THE registrar of the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) has approved a merger between the

Built Environment Professional Associations' Medical Scheme (Bepmeds) and TopMed Medical
Scheme. TopMed chief executive officer Len Deacon said the deal would "improve
sustainability" and add value for the company. Deacon said the company would benefit from an
improved membership profile (lower age, pensioner ratio and chronic ratio), as well as
membership growth, together with a contribution to reserves in the region of R8m. At the same
time, it would maintain its solvency level comfortably above recommended industry
requirements of 25%.

GEN-Health Medical Aid is under liquidation after receiving an order by the High Court on
Tuesday. The Council for Medical Schemes said it had negotiated the transfer of 30 000 Gen-
Health members to Medshield Medical Scheme, recently amalgamated with Oxygen. Council
spokesman Aleksandra Serwa said the process was at "a critical stage" while their legal teams
discussed finer details of the transfer. Medshield and the council will need to discuss whether
Gen-Health members will be covered for October. The liquidation comes after a failed
amalgamation with Sizwe Medical Fund. The proposal, received by the council on August 28
was declined at the end of September, based on various sections of the Medical Schemes Act of
1998.