I am extremely disappointed with Discovery Health and my experience as a member.

I am currently pregnant and registered for maternity benefits, yet is till have to pay for may pregnancy-related expenses out of my own pocket, including my pregnancy supplements. This has been frustrating, as I expected more support for maternity-related healthcare costs. In addition, I was diagnosed with a chronic medical condition that requires monthly injections costing approximately R2200 per month. My doctor and i submitted an application for chronic benefits, together with all the supporting documentation requested by Discovery, including specialist reports, scans, blood results, and my medical history. Despite complying with every requirement, the application remains unresolved. Each time i follow up, I am not provided with clear feedback or a timeline for a decision. I have also incurred significant specialist costs. I paid R3500 for a scan and submitted the invoice for reimbur*****t, only to receive approximately R500 back from Discovery. Furthermore, I am regularly left with outstanding pathology and laboratory costs that i have to settle myself, including costs incurred while I was hospitalised. Based on my experience, I have received far less financial support from my medical aid than I expected given the premiums I pay. I genuinely question the value of my current medical aid cover when I am still required to spend thousands of rands on medical expenses despite paying ridiculous monthly contributions. My biggest frustration is not only the out-of-pocket costs but also the lack of communication and delays in processing important medical benefit applications (if I didn't know better I would say that they are deliberately delaying the approval of the chronic benefit so that the duration of pregnancy passes and they will not have to pay for the above mentioned injections). As a member, I believe it is reasonable to expect timely feedback and greater transparency regarding claims and benefit approvals. Unless this situation improves significantly, I intend to cancel my membership after the birth of my baby and move to a medical aid that meets my healthcare needs