Beware Expectant Mothers

It's not a secret that many of the benefits that Discovery Health advertise are disingenuous at best, and sometimes downright misleading.

It recently came to my attention, that the maternity benefits that they tout so loudly requires a little bit more scrutiny from mothers.

I am not a mother, or a mother to be, but my wife is, and is expecting twins. So when we received a risk assessment putting us in the high bracket, we were referred to do the Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT). Upon asking the practitioner performing the test, we were informed that Discover Health do cover the costs thereof. We paid up front for the test and submitted the claim.

Now, according to the Discovery Website, they do cover the test as follows: You are also covered for one Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) if you meet the clinical entry criteria.

But what is the criteria? It is not listed anywhere on the Discovery website, or in any of their documentation. It is essential a loophole for them to say no. Which so far they have said. And now we have to battle with them for R6500.00 because this is the way they operate.

If there are conditions for the coverage, then they should list them, and not just refuse out of hand.

This is just a warning for expectant mothers, or those who are deciding on having children in the future, be very wary of the "Maternity Benefits" touted by discovery, they are extremely misleading, do not cover all the fees incurred by your Gynae, do not cover all the tests you will need, and over a very limited cover solution for mothers to be. If they at least told you why they would exclude you from cover, that would be half decent, but they don't, because then they would prevent them from discriminating as they do.