Lack of transparency

<p>I am on the Discovery medical aid. My plan is the Essential Delta Saver. I knew when I chose the plan that I would have to go to Network hospitals. The problem I have is the lack of transparency from Discovery.</p> <p> </p> <p>In March 2016 I fell ill, and I was taken to one of the network hospitals, Life Fourways. To my dismay, I was at the right hospital, but with the wrong Doctors, for Essential Delta Saver.</p> <p> </p> <p>What Discovery doesn't tell you in advance is the following:</p> <p>- Going to the "right" (contracted in) hospital does NOT guarantee that you will get the "right (contracted in) Doctor, at the same hospital. To my dismay, there wasn't a single Surgeon contracted in at Life Fourways at the time! The other Doctors can charge far above medical aid rates, and you, the patient will have to pay</p> <p>- Doctors can "contract out" whenever they please, meaning that if you are seen by a contracted in Doctor today, it does not necessarily mean that they will still be contracted in when you go for your follow up a month later. What happens with continuity of treatment?</p> <p> </p> <p>I spoke to a number of people at Discovery regarding this, both telephonically and by email. One such person was an Executive Manager. I realised (and told her) that it's either that the plan was not thoroughly thought through, or it was done in bad faith. Why would I be sent to a particular hospital if there are no contracted in Doctors? Not a single Surgeon? Why don't they ensure that at any given time there is at least one contracted in Doctor for each discipline? For the members' peace of mind, why are the Doctors not contracted in, say annually, & not come and go as they please? Not everyone has money to throw around to pay Doctors who charge 200% of medical aid rates. Why don't they send monthly "circulars" to members, informing them of contracted out Doctors? Is it really practical to check if the same Doctor you saw two weeks ago is still contracted in? And what if they are no longer in?</p>