Discovery Hospital Plan

[James 77]

Hi guys

I am currently on the Discovery Essential Core hospital plan, and I'm thinking of moving to a cheaper option.
I am looking at the Essential Smart plan as it is R700 less per month.

The only reason I'm with Discovery is for the Vitality and the Virgin Active benefit?

From personal experience will the move be better? The main drawback that I saw was the Network Hospitals only. However we do have a Medi Clinic in town and a NetCare (the latter won't be covered)

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[binloud]

I'm on the essential smart plan, I like it. No MSA but I barely go to the Dr and if I do it's R100. I figure saving around 700 a month I can get enough pills to start my own pharmacy if I needed to use that money. I use all the vitality stuff as I get good value and that's about it.

 

[Kosmik]

Classic actually works out cheaper than essential for a family as kids on essential are same price.

 

[James 77]

I'm on the essential smart plan, I like it. No MSA but I barely go to the Dr and if I do it's R100. I figure saving around 700 a month I can get enough pills to start my own pharmacy if I needed to use that money. I use all the vitality stuff as I get good value and that's about it.

I also never go to the doctor. So it would be a smart move

 

[James 77]

Classic actually works out cheaper than essential for a family as kids on essential are same price.

I looked at the classic. The hospital plan, however, is just for me.

 

[krycor]

I'm on Classic Delta Core <-- "delta" hospital group though. If I remember correctly the difference between the various plans is the coverage value which is lower.. i.e. 100% coverage vs 200%.

Delta option, albeit irrelevant in an emergency, is useful for reducing the cost of the overall plan.

wait here is a pic.

 

[James 77]

I'm on Classic Delta Core <-- "delta" hospital group though. If I remember correctly the difference between the various plans is the coverage value which is lower.. i.e. 100% coverage vs 200%.

Delta option, albeit irrelevant in an emergency, is useful for reducing the cost of the overall plan.

wait here is a pic.

Thanks for the post and pic.
What if I take the Essential Smart plan and gap cover ? That would probably still be cheaper than the essential core

 

[Barbarian Conan]

Get the Classic smart plan, as there are some things the essential doesn't cover like hernia repair, and possibly some scopes and back operations. Things that can cost a shitload and can happen to you at any age.
Get a good Gap Cover to boost the payment to 500%. The gap cover should also give you 1 out of network hospital visit per year. We use Stratum.

 

[James 77]

Get the Classic smart plan, as there are some things the essential doesn't cover like hernia repair, and possibly some scopes and back operations. Things that can cost a shitload and can happen to you at any age.
Get a good Gap Cover to boost the payment to 500%. The gap cover should also give you 1 out of network hospital visit per year. We use Stratum.

Thanks alot for the advice, I agree it doesn't help to get a cheaper plan that comes back to bite you. Would you say the Classic smart plan is better than the essential core in your opinion ?

 

[diapason]

Thanks alot for the advice, I agree it doesn't help to get a cheaper plan that comes back to bite you. Would you say the Classic smart plan is better than the essential core in your opinion ?

Classic Smart gives you unlimited visits to a network GP for R50 each (balance paid from risk) and 12 prescriptions annually for R10 per line item. One basic dental check for R100. Also an allowance - currently R630pa per family - for over the counter meds. Major stuff covered to 200% as opposed to 100% on Essential Plans.

This is much better than a basic hospital plan because it covers a fair amount of day to day expenses with minimal co-payments. I'm on this plan as a retiree.

Another plus with the Smart plans is that annual increases are a bit lower than on other plans because they tend to attract healthier members,

 

[TofuMofu]

Classic Smart gives you unlimited visits to a network GP for R50 each (balance paid from risk) and 12 prescriptions annually for R10 per line item. One basic dental check for R100. Also an allowance - currently R630pa per family - for over the counter meds. Major stuff covered to 200% as opposed to 100% on Essential Plans.

This is much better than a basic hospital plan because it covers a fair amount of day to day expenses with minimal co-payments. I'm on this plan as a retiree.

Another plus with the Smart plans is that annual increases are a bit lower than on other plans because they tend to attract healthier members,

I'm also on the Smart Classic plan. By far the best option for a "cheap" cover. Also the network hospitals are great hospitals. One of them is Wilgers Hospital, which is very close to me.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

Thanks alot for the advice, I agree it doesn't help to get a cheaper plan that comes back to bite you. Would you say the Classic smart plan is better than the essential core in your opinion ?

What diapason said.
I think I went from Essential core to Classic Smart, and have no regrets. I think at the time Classic Smart + Gap cover was cheaper than essential core, and you get the stuff that diapason mentioned.

Wrt the gap cover, this year I had a hernia op where I was referred to a specialist that doesn't work from a network hospital. They covered the R8800 non network co-payment (once per year) and the amount over the 200% that is normally covered, to save me R15k for the whole experience. Not bad for an extra R235 per month.

On the topic of claiming for stuff. If you go for a gastroscopy and you do it in hospital, it is charged as an admission and the co-payment and 200% stuff applies.
If you do it in the (non-network) specialist's rooms, which happen to be in a (non network) hospital, the Classic Smart plan covers it in its entirety.

 

[hellfire]

Hi guys

I am currently on the Discovery Essential Core hospital plan, and I'm thinking of moving to a cheaper option.
I am looking at the Essential Smart plan as it is R700 less per month.

The only reason I'm with Discovery is for the Vitality and the Virgin Active benefit?

From personal experience will the move be better? The main drawback that I saw was the Network Hospitals only. However we do have a Medi Clinic in town and a NetCare (the latter won't be covered)

Any advice would be appreciated.

Get gap cover insurance for R250 of the R700 saving, and you can use any hospital.
The only proviso is that you have to cover the R8k co-payment upfront, and you have to claim from the insurance thereafter

 

[James 77]

Thanks guys. I will move to the classic smart plan and get gap cover.

 

[Kosmik]

Get gap cover insurance for R250 of the R700 saving, and you can use any hospital.
The only proviso is that you have to cover the R8k co-payment upfront, and you have to claim from the insurance thereafter

Swipe it on credit card, 50 odd days interest free, gap claims can be paid in 10 business days, transfer money to card - profit ebucks/rewards whatever.

 

[HumanShield]

Classic Smart gives you unlimited visits to a network GP for R50 each (balance paid from risk) and 12 prescriptions annually for R10 per line item. One basic dental check for R100. Also an allowance - currently R630pa per family - for over the counter meds. Major stuff covered to 200% as opposed to 100% on Essential Plans.

This is much better than a basic hospital plan because it covers a fair amount of day to day expenses with minimal co-payments. I'm on this plan as a retiree.

Another plus with the Smart plans is that annual increases are a bit lower than on other plans because they tend to attract healthier members,

Was thinking of switching to this one come next year. On the Essential Core with Gap Cover at the moment. This makes a very good case to go over to Classic Smart. I see that Mediclinic in Midstream is on the "smart" hospital list so that's a win for me