Discovery Health Medical Aid – South Africa’s Largest Medical Aid Scheme

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Discovery Health Medical Aid – Downgrade at any time

A Discovery Health Medical Scheme member has the option of downgrading their option at any time but may only upgrade without medical underwriting once per year effective from the 1st of January the following year. Compare Plans.

Discovery Health Medical Aid – Coastal Core and Classic Core

These are their Hospital plans. Both have unlimited Hospital benefits but cover claims at different rates; Coastal at medical aid rate and Classic at 2X medical aid rate. The Hospital bill would be paid in full because of tariff agreements they have with the Hospital groups.

To have the Surgeon and Anaesthetist bill fully covered, the member would have to use a practitioner who is contracted to charge the DHR (Discovery Health Rate) or buy a gap product that will pay the difference. They both have the same Chronic Medication benefit as well as Emergency Evacuation i.e. Ambulance and Helicopter, etc. Read More About Coastal Core and Classic Core.

Discovery Health Medical Aid – Coastal Saver and Classic Saver

Both of these plans have unlimited Hospital benefits but cover claims at different rates; Coastal at medical aid rate and Classic at 2X medical aid rate. The Hospital bill would be paid in full because of tariff agreements they have with the Hospital groups.

To have the Surgeon and Anaesthetist bill fully covered, the member would have to use a practitioner who is contracted to charge the DHR (Discovery Health Rate) or buy a gap product that will pay the difference. All day-to-day claims e.g. doctor’s consultations, medicines, etc, are paid from a savings account.

Savings Add-on

The add-on benefit of the savings account is a 50% payment towards GP consultations paid by the medical aid if they are contracted in to Discovery, so only 50% would be paid from the savings. Any portion of the savings not used would be carried forward to the following year. They both have the same Chronic Medication benefit as well as Emergency Evacuation i.e. Ambulance and Helicopter, etc. Read More About Coastal Saver and Classic Saver.

Discovery Health Medical Aid – Classic Comprehensive

This plan has unlimited Hospital benefits paid at 2X medical aid rate. The Hospital bill would be paid in full because of tariff agreements they have with the Hospital groups.

To have the Surgeon and Anaesthetist bill fully covered, the member would have to use a practitioner who is contracted to charge the DHR (Discovery Health Rate) or buy a gap product that will pay the difference. Claims submitted to the medical aid would first be paid out of savings until that is exhausted and then from the Threshold benefit.

Savings Threshold

When a member has spent his/her medical aid savings and has not as yet reached the Annual Threshold. Discovery will cover the full cost of the GP consultation and pathology(a Discovery Health pathology form needs to be completed by the GP) provided one uses a Discovery Network GP.

Any portion of the savings not used would be carried forward to the following year. There is a small gap between the savings limit and the Threshold benefit kicking in, called the self-payment gap, during which expenses must be paid by the member, but the bills must still be submitted to the medical aid.

Once all your accumulated day-to-day expenses (irrespective of who pays them) reach the Threshold Excess, it will pay all day-to-day expenses until the end of the year, subject to sub-limits. This plan also has an extended Chronic Medication benefit. Read More About Discovery Classic Comprehensive.

Discovery Health Medical Aid – KeyCare Core

Discovery Health Medical Scheme is the biggest medical aid in South Africa and dominates the medical aid environment. This is an inexpensive hospital plan, it has unlimited hospital cover paid at 100% medical aid rate but is only available from a limited list of private hospitals. It has a Chronic Medication Benefit as well as Emergency Evacuation i.e. Ambulance and Helicopter, etc.

Discovery KeyCare Plus

Discovery Health Medical Scheme is the biggest medical aid in South Africa and dominates the medical aid environment. This is an inexpensive hospital plan, it has unlimited hospital cover paid at 100% medical aid rate but is only available from a limited list of private hospitals.

This is a network option, which means that you get unlimited primary care doctor’s consultations, medicines and basic dentistry is unlimited from a network of practitioners. It has a Chronic Medication Benefit as well as Emergency Evacuation i.e. Ambulance and Helicopter, etc. Read More About Discovery KeyCare Plus.

View Plans On Discovery’s Website.

Optional Discovery Benefits

Vitality

This is Discovery’s Wellness Program and one of their innovations. It’s designed to encourage people to live a healthier, more active lifestyle because healthy people claim less, but it doesn’t form part of the medical aid. Contrary to common belief, Vitality is a separate entity that the member may choose to join at a cost.

Vitality Discounts

Vitality offers discounts on a whole range of products and services based on your Vitality status, which ranges from blue to bronze to silver to gold. Your status would improve depending on how many points you accumulate through their various avenues e.g. lifestyle questionnaires, keeping member records current, having check-ups, being a non-smoker and reaching or maintaining your goal weight. Read More About Vitality Rewards.

Discovery Health Medical Aid – Health Plan Protector

This policy pays back your medical aid premiums (excluding savings) less claims annually into a HealthFund. A portion of which is paid back to the member each year or every 5 years (member’s choice) with the full balance being paid out at the age of 65.

Also, there is a 5 or 10 year medical aid premium waiver should the member die, become disabled or claim a Category A severe illness. For more information, read the Health Plan Protector document (.pdf format).

Discovery Life

Members of Discovery Health and Vitality can get as much as 32.5% discount off any Discovery Life policy. For more information, read the Why Discovery Life document (.pdf format). Get Discovery Life Insurance.

Top-Up Cover

This is an independent product that can be used to increase your hospital cover limits to R2,000,000.

Gap Cover

This independent cover will pay the additional amount charged by the surgeon and anaesthetist above the medical aid rate up to a maximum of 3 X medical aid rate. Get Gap Cover Today!