Mental health mess

In March 2025, I signed up for Silverlight to complete a health pathway. I wasn't sure how it was going to be covered, but given that it was a Discovery-recommended action, I assumed that there would be a benefit that covered it. I found the program to be insipid, and basic, in line with educating someone who had not been in a mental health clinic. But I had, and was actively already working with those principals. I made sure that my "Coach" (who changed three times), knew I was not finding any value in the course, and that I - at first - couldn't access it, and then - after fixing the access thing - didn't see any value in it. Stopped logging in after my "coach" closed off private messaging and recommended that I keep up with the daily exercises (which are part of my routine outside of the app anyway).

Fast forward to September 26th, when I get a random claim for R1927.70 for a practise named "Digital The****utics Xpress Pty Ltd", stating "Amount not paid". I immediately called Discovery (Call reference ***), where the lady says that it was rejected because it was claimed for 17th March, which was too long ago. Upon asking what it was even for, she says it's for Silvercloud, and that there appears to have been a "System-wide" (or something along those lines) issue, whereby this was supposed to have been paid from "Risk", and I must please allow her to sort it out, and not to worry about it.

In the middle of November, I re-evaluated my benefits, and see that, despite my last claim for Dental work being done in early September, my medical savings are maxxed out. So I called Discovery to query (Call reference ***) and was told that the unpaid amount which was claimed for March was taken from my Savings. I ask how that's possible, as I was told that it was going to be sorted out, and asked to speak to a Supervisor. This was when I started working with Rakesh, who was very helpful, took all my details, asked all the questions, and said he would look into it. as he could see that it was supposed to have been paid from "Risk", which it clearly wasn't.

While I was looking at all of this, I also noticed that I had one mental health session left. Given that I had not seen my psychologist in several months due to financial challenges, I scheduled an appointment with her for November the 20th, to take advantage of the last session out of my 15 from my PMBs.

At the beginning of December, I was contacted by Rakesh again, indicating that there was no feedback, but he is still waiting for the "various departments to correspond", and then last week (second week of December), he called me and stated that the amount was taken from my medical savings, as it was supposed to come from my Mental Health Benefit, but because there were no sessions available, it was taken from savings. I called him out on this, pointing out that if it was supposed to be taken from that benefit, then I would not have scheduled the last session with my psychologist for the end of November. If I was told this in September, I could have left that one session alone. If anyone on the subsequent calls - even Rakesh - had said "this needs to come from the Mental Health Benefit" rather than "This was supposed to have been paid from Risk", I would have known where it needed to go. Rakesh said he would get back to me...

It is now the 15th of December, people are going on leave, my medical savings will reset in just over 2 weeks time as a new period opens. I have just had to pay R2500 in medical expenses - around half of which could have been covered by my MSA, were it not still maxxed out on a clerical mess which I first queried in September.

It's been 25% of the year, and you are punishing me for paying my fees on time every month, and following your instructions? Am I going to be told in Janaury that, because it fell into the previous year's financial period, you can no longer help me? COME ON DISCOVERY! I truly thought I would get better service from the country's largest medical scheme. (Might I add, the irony of this all being related to Mental Health, but causes more stress and anxiety, is not even funny)