DISCOVERY "HEALTH" not willing to cover a diabetic, glaucoma patient who has 10% vision.

My husband has been a chronic diabetic for years. Registered on Discovery Key Care Plus PMB. Last month he was diagnosed with Glaucoma. He was referred to specialist Opthamologist who is treating him as his Glaucoma is severe and if not treated swiftly within the next few months he will go blind. He is 40 and has two small kids. The possibility of going blind is frightening. He had to resign from his job which he loved as result of the Glaucoma and even his employer was not willing to help him. Now his medical aid is ALSO not willing to help him. SURELY, an exception can be made as his DR has registered him as chronic Glaucoma. His specialist who is treating him did a laser procedure last month as one of the ways to treat his Glaucoma and prevent it from worsening. Yesterday, Dr sent through a motivation/approval request to perform a Iridex procedure on him as he is at risk of going blind within the next few months. Within one hour, Discovery Health responds and DECLINES this procedure based on the fact that "they do not cover it". WITHOUT looking at all the facts, history, risks of going blind they merely declined it as if they declining a dose of medicine. This makes me sick to my stomach, that just another consultant can have such authority over my husband state of health. He has been with Discovery since 2008 and this is the only "major claim" he has ever had. To be declined within a few minutes makes one think???? The cost of the procedure is R 4,500 and the hospital stay (1 day admission) is R 15,000.00.

Discovery "Health" is this procedure really too much to cover as a PMB of Glaucoma? The request was sent through to register him as a Glaucoma Chronic - we are still waiting from your chronic department to confirm if this was processed.

Yet another way to get out of covering this procedure Discovery?

I am waiting on an answer for this procedure within 2 hours or my post will go viral.

Is R 19,500.00 too much to cover for a member who is Diabetic, recently developed Glaucoma and is on the verge of going blind?

I will NOT leave this like this! There is a reason why we have medical aid.