Discovery's Disgrace

Discovery Health has recently made it nearly impossible for me to access basic medical care. I've never had any serious medical conditions or been hospitalised, yet I now find myself unable to obtain a simple GP consultation.

Previously, I could visit a GP and claim for out-of-network consultations. However, Discovery on-the-fly informs that it has implemented changes that restrict this benefit. I am now forced to visit a primary healthcare clinic, which seems counterintuitive for someone with private medical aid.

The Wellth benefit, advertised as a valuable addition, appears to be more of a hindrance. It's riddled with restrictions that make it practically inaccessible.

I’ve been informed that I cannot get a second opinion outside of 1 network GP; I must obtain a referral to from the same GP to another GP. This process is impractical and unfair to a patient.

These unannounced changes seem to violate the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998, which states to:

Provide members with clear and concise information

Obtain member consent

Adhere to fair and equitable practices when implementing changes. This means that medical schemes cannot make changes that are discriminatory or unfair to members.

Dealing with Discovery has been a headache and a burden, causing more problems than it has solved. The customer service representative told me I could easily cancel my membership. I will be looking elsewhere.