Membership fees

I had an awful experience lately where Discovery subtracted an additional R7000 + from my salary last month. Upon my immediate phone call I was informed that my son turned 21 in May and that he is now regarded as an adult on my medical even though he is still studying and I'm still paying for him. So not only was a double payment done but also backdated payments. I got no notification of this, neither did I approve of any of this. (Upon asking around all other medical schemes actually allow kids to be on their parent's medical aids as long as they can prove that they are still studying. GEMS even allow kids up to the age of 28.) I then said I wasn't informed upon which they said that they did sent an e-mail. I said that I couldn't open any of me last Discovery mails and then the reply was that they do have that problem with yahoo clients and that I should change my e-mail address. How ridiculous is that? There was no confirmation of the fact that I agree upon any policy fee changes or anything. Upon my suggestion that people should at least sign something or receive an sms that there is a change in policy it was said that Discovery can't do that because they have too many clients. Perhaps Discovery is only interested in getting clients but not serving them afterwards. Santam can send every client with which they deal a standard sms verifying that they have received communication and that matters are being taken care of. Apparently this is going to cost Discovery too much money.... Eventually a nice guy (Marvin) who helped me tried his best to reverse the payments and it was negotiated that I then paid for a dentist appointment my son had in July which I agreed upon. That was an amount of R4000. Discovery however is owing me R10000. I got a phone call every day as to when I'm going to sign the settlement agreement of me paying Discovery back instead of Discovery telling me when they are going to pay me back. The excuse is that the money Discovery are owing me has to go back through the payroll even though that money are already in possession of Discovery. Interestingly enough a new contract can go off immediately the next month from my salary but when Discovery owe money it takes three months to rectify the matter????? I am going to have that large sum deducted from my salary again this month..... Who can afford that? In the mean time I also tried to arrange an alternative medical plan for my son at Discovery which I can afford. They did an interview with him about two weeks ago and I was asking numerous times that they could confirm that there wouldn't be a waiting period for him without any reply on that. At first I was phoned to say all is well and he is accepted on the new plan without a waiting period. Then I got another phone call to say that was a mistake because he is off one medical and now on another plan and they can't tell me whether there will be a waiting period as it is still in process. Yesterday I got a phone call to tell me that he needs to be interviewed again and I was informed that the Esssential Delta Saver that we agreed upon two weeks ago was cancelled; heaven knows why and by whom because the only thing that had to be sorted out was that there shouldn't be a waiting period. I still don't know if there is going to be a waiting period and I have a serious problem with that because I can't have my son without cover. Above all I have to pay a full premium now for my son even though he is a second member on my medical just because he is on a different plan.

I find Discovery absolutely unhelpful and not accommodating the normal person on the street. It seems to me that Discovery is just interested in making as much money as they can but not trying to assist and accommodate average people of the public. Is this now a scheme only for the rich and the famous??? The terms and conditions were rushed off over the phone yesterday just to get another deal cracking. I still don't know whether my son is covered or not and I hold Discovery responsible for any medical claims that might take place during this time because on numerous occasions I have asked that this matter be sorted out asap; also that he should be on the medical aid as from the first of October, with no waiting periods, etc.

I hope somebody at Discovery cares enough to rectify this matter as I am extremely disappointed in the way this whole matter has been taken care of.

Mrs F Le Roux