Maternity benefit not clear and bad customer service is the last you want a week before giving birth.

My wife and I had been trying to fall pregnant for a while, so every month we would take a pregnancy test. After 3 consecutive months of getting a negative result, we then took a pregnancy test in November and received a positive result. We bought a second test the next day just to be sure and it also came out positive. Because we had experienced a miscarriage in the past, the first thing we wanted to do was book an appointment with the gynie. We then decided to activate the maternity benefit as it would allow us to see the gynie.

We were booked for an appointment in mid December, however my wife then got her period a week later than it was supposed to come. We then took another pregnancy test and it said it was negative and to our disbelief we took several others in those two days. We enquired with a medical practitioner and found out it was a false pregnancy and that this sort of thing was common.

My wife and I continued on out mission to conceive and at the end of February took a test and it came out positive. And because of the had happened in November we went to our GP and she confirmed the pregnancy. She then referred us to the gynie and everything went smoothly. I claimed from the medical aid and was paid out in time on the 5 appoints that followed throughout the year.

We then had an appointment on the 20th of September which i Submitted a claim on the app as I always do. A few days passed and I noticed no payment came through, I decided to check on the app only to notice that the claim wasn't paid. I called Discovery and spoke to a consultant who explained to as to what may have happened to what she referred to as baskets and said she will escalate with a superior and then get back to me in less than 5 days.

7 days passed and because we a due in a week, I had to call in to find out what had happened and if we still covered for the birthing process amongst other things. When I called the consultant said he could not do much as the matter was already escalated. He said he will send the previous consultant to call me back to give me feedback. Two days pass and still no reply, at this point there is a lot of uncer*****y in my head so I call again.

When I call for the 3rd time, the consultant explained to me that the miscarriage benefit ended in August because I never cancelled the original one of which was a false positive. I explained to her at the time we were not aware that we had to cancel and that because of the disappointment and emptions that was the last thing on our mind. No communication was sent to explain such, nor have we come across it.

We have now went on two gynie visits and non of them have been paid, even though we still have a balance from the allocated ones. Was told the original consultant will call me back, but I am uncertain of so many things and our first child could be born any minute now. The lack of communication is terrible especially when a consultants does not get back to you at all within the time frame she gave and now i continuously have to call every time to follow up only for me to be given the run around.

What I just need is to see how the error can be rectified and put us at ease going into our birthing procedure.