Ongoing Issues with Bankmed’s Inability to Process My Child’s Name

I am extremely disappointed with Bankmed, and “disappointed” still feels like an understatement. Every time I attempt to collect my son’s medication or attend his vaccination appointments, I am informed by pharmacies that his name is “invalid” due to the accent (ë) in his name, despite the fact that he is a registered beneficiary on my medical aid. On multiple occasions, I have had to wait over four hours with a very ill child while pharmacists try to engage Bankmed consultants to resolve the issue—yet no resolution is ever provided. I ultimately have to pay out-of-pocket, and to date, I have never been reimbursed. I am repeatedly told that certain information is missing, even when I have clearly submitted all receipts. This problem has persisted since the day I joined Bankmed. Pharmacy systems simply do not accommodate my son’s name (Maël), and Bankmed has not provided any workable solution. When I was previously with Discovery, I never experienced this issue because the accent was not included on his profile. I requested that Bankmed remove the accent to ensure system compatibility, but I was told they must use the name exactly as it appears on the birth certificate—yet they offer no practical solution for names with accents, even though my son is certainly not the only person in South Africa with such a name. At this point, I am completely exhausted and deeply frustrated by the lack of support and resolution from Bankmed.