Discovery FAILS TO HONOUR CLIENT[ FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE] with FULL COMPENSATION

I contacted Discovery around Sep/October to inform them that I am exiting the medical aid. I was shocked and speechless to discover that I had a chronic benefit available to me from January 2016. I discovered this around October 2020 - FOUR AND HALF years later. I spoke to Michaela on 7/10/2020 and told her I was horrified to see this because my MSA and cash had been used in those 4 and a half years whereas I could have used my chronic benefit and had MSA till each year end, and would not have had to pay cash for consults and medication. In Jan 2016 ,my doctor had informed me that the medical aid had declined the benefit so I had to pay cash for relevant testing. All other tests to specialists were subsequently paid for from the MSA or cash for tests, because I had no knowledge about this benefit, in writing or telephonically. Apparently at a later date the benefit was activated, but I had no idea.

In January 2016, I paid R700 cash for consultation and R1600 cash for tests in April 2016. Total R2300 cash.

In May 2016, a further R3178,20 was paid from my MSA but had I been informed of the chronic illness benefit, I would have used it. If the doctor had been aware of it, he would not have asked me to pay cash for the tests in April 2016. Had I been informed as a client, I would have used the Chronic illness benefit. I mean , which sane person with a knowledge of a chronic illness benefit will go ahead and deplete their MSA[medical savings account] and be left without MSA for the rest of the year?????

For me ,it is simply a case of theft and *****, that the Discovery refused to acknowledge their error and I lost a total of R12555,71 in MSA and cash payments. I asked to be compensated. Shanice Isaacs got out their details. I sent mine. I continued to confirm that I can testify that I was uninformed by Discovery of this benefit.

Eventually, after numerous emails, Shanice Isaacs responded. I sent all my payments to her and she checked. All was in order. Today, 21 December 2020, I received and email where I will get R654,90 for the R700 I paid in January 2016. The following amounts have been ignored yet Discovery audit reflects these payments: No mention is made of the amount of R1600 cash in April 2016; R3178,20 in May 2016; R3513,11 in January 2017 and R3564,40 in March 2020. A total of R11855,71. This amount is owed to me because Discovery FAILED TO DIRECTLY INFORM ME, THEIR CLIENT that I have the chronic benefit available to me.

It is horrifying that huge companies trample paying clients in this way. They refuse to acknowledge their mistakes, lack the decency to rectify and act honourably in compensating in full. I am entitled to the amount of R11855,71 because of their failure to act responsibly in keeping me informed about this benefit that had been activated.

In addition, over the years I have always asked Discovery, telephonically, to send me a hard copy of annual benefits, because it is easy to access and check. This was added to the system, yet I received no hard copies as requested.

It is a bullying tactic and smacks of disrespect and honour when a company simply ignores all that you have presented and throws a mere R654,50 thinking that this client should shut up now, because she is getting something. So when R11855,71 is not returned to me, who is pocketing/*****ing my money??

R. Ramadhin [M.Ed]