Paying Increased Annual Rates but services being downgraded

Reducing service yet still paying the increased premium year after year Discovery Membership Number: *** - Karen Anne Collison

I have been a member with Discovery for 18 years, start date Feb 1999 to Sep 2010, then joined again since 4 Sep 2012 and still an active member. Discovery is not exactly the cheapest Medical Aid to be with, but I chose them as I needed security, the plan I am currently on is the best one I can afford. Medical Aid has never been a luxury, but a necessity. I have been suffering of Depression for a years now, the membership I am on does not cover my antidepressants as Chronic, this I have tried to sort out, I even called Discovery to see which alternate medication for my condition I can use to ensure it is covered under Chronic. Because this medication is not covered, it means when I run out of my MSA every year around April, I need to pay cash for my medication which costs me Approximately R900.00 a month, this excludes my other prescribed medication and excludes my monthly Medical Aid fee of R3 600.00. WHY DO WE HAVE MEDICAL AID IF WE NEED TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL MEDICATION. IS THERE NO MERCY OUT THERE. Once I ran out of my MSA I was happy that I could make use of the benefit they had when you run our of MSA that you have a few GP visits for the year. This was a life saver for myself and my kids. Yesterday I confidently went my GP knowing my MSA was depleted but thinking that I still have the benefit available to use, only to get my GP call me today to advise the benefit was no longer available with Discovery and that I was to pay the consultation amount of R541.00. I called Discovery and queried it, I was informed that the benefit of visiting my GP was removed and replaced (I call a Downgrade) by a benefit to go to a clinic to see a nurse at either Diskem or Clicks. They confirmed communication was sent out last year October, which I do not remember seeing. Irrelevant to that, how can a benefit be removed from the plan if you are still required to pay the yearly increased premium. I was informed it was a added benefit Discovery had and that Discovery needed to ensure their costs or.. was viable for them. How can I now be given a NURSE at a clinic instead of a DR? I have now spoken to an agent (Anela), a manager (Janine) and then I was transferred to someone higher than her (no idea what his name was). None of them were able to assist me with this matter. Please may I ask that this be taken up with Discovery Health, How many other people out there are not aware of these changes... what other changes were made/removed and we are still paying increased rates annually!!

Is there no one out there with compassion for people.

Hoping you can help me with this. I recently had a biopsy done, where i too had to pay out of pocket as my funds were depleted. With Covid-19 it did not help my financial situation and now this.

Kind Regards Karen ***