{"id":492513,"date":"2021-05-21T11:30:02","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T09:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=492513"},"modified":"2021-05-21T11:30:02","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T09:30:02","slug":"discovery-medical-aid-price-hikes-for-2021-what-you-will-pay-from-july","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/492513\/discovery-medical-aid-price-hikes-for-2021-what-you-will-pay-from-july\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovery medical aid price hikes for 2021 – what you will pay from July"},"content":{"rendered":"

South Africa’s largest medical aid scheme, Discovery Health, has announced its new fee schedules for 2021 which will come into effect from July.<\/p>\n

This follows a freeze on prices implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic last year.<\/p>\n

Discovery said that members had come under financial pressure because of the pandemic and national lockdowns, and decided to freeze contribution prices at 2020 levels for the first half of 2021.<\/p>\n

Come July, however, prices will be increasing – with the scheme promising to keep adjustments under CPI+2%.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the group announced that fees will be increasing by 5.9% across all plans.<\/strong>\u00a0Given the 0% increase for the first half of the year, Discovery said this works out to a weighted increase of 3% for 2021.<\/p>\n

Weighted average increases across medical aids for 2021 were in line with recommendations from the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) – including 3.9% and 4.6% for Momentum Health and Bonitas, respectively.<\/p>\n

The CMS called for companies to implement a freeze where possible, and if not possible, it recommended that increases be capped at 3.9%, in line with inflation.<\/p>\n

The CMS said that despite the cost savings accrued to most schemes due to a noticeable decrease in utilisation during the lockdown in 2020, there was a risk that the savings might be wiped out due to the Covid-19 peak in the country, as well as because of pent-up demand.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccordingly, certain schemes may need to increase their contribution to mitigate against the risk of high-cost claims and subsequent reserves erosion,\u201d it said at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn cases where schemes are unable to freeze their contribution increase for 2021, CMS recommends that schemes should limit their increases to 3.9% in line with CPI.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are the full contribution changes (for the primary member).<\/p>\n

Executive<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nJan – Jun 2020<\/th>\nJul – Dec 2021<\/th>\n% change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Executive Plan<\/td>\nR7 257<\/td>\nR7 688<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Comprehensive<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nJan – Jun 2020<\/th>\nJul – Dec 2021<\/th>\n% change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Comprehensive<\/td>\nR5 954<\/td>\nR6 309<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Delta Comprehensive<\/td>\nR5 362<\/td>\nR5 681<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Comprehensive<\/td>\nR5 003<\/td>\nR5 301<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Delta Comprehensive<\/td>\nR4 507<\/td>\nR4 775<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Smart Comprehensive<\/td>\nR4 327<\/td>\nR4 585<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Priority<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nJan – Jun 2020<\/th>\nJul – Dec 2021<\/th>\n% change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Priority<\/td>\nR3 814<\/td>\nR4 041<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Priority<\/td>\nR3 278<\/td>\nR3 472<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Saver<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nJan – Jun 2020<\/th>\nJul – Dec 2021<\/th>\n% change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Saver<\/td>\nR3 290<\/td>\nR3 485<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Delta Saver<\/td>\nR2 628<\/td>\nR2 784<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Saver<\/td>\nR2 615<\/td>\nR2 770<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Delta Saver<\/td>\nR2 085<\/td>\nR2 209<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coastal Saver<\/td>\nR2 608<\/td>\nR2 763<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Smart<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nJan – Jun 2020<\/th>\nJul – Dec 2021<\/th>\n% change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Smart<\/td>\nR1 954<\/td>\nR2 070<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Smart<\/td>\nR1 400<\/td>\nR1 483<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Core<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nJan – Jun 2020<\/th>\nJul – Dec 2021<\/th>\n% change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Core<\/td>\nR2 449<\/td>\nR2 594<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Classic Delta Core<\/td>\nR1 960<\/td>\nR2 076<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Core<\/td>\nR2 104<\/td>\nR2 229<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essential Delta Core<\/td>\nR1 681<\/td>\nR1 781<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coastal Core<\/td>\nR1 946<\/td>\nR2 062<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

KeyCare<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Plan<\/th>\nJan – Jun 2020<\/th>\nJul – Dec 2021<\/th>\n% change<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Plus 0 – 8 550<\/td>\nR1 207<\/td>\nR1 279<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Plus 8 551 – 13 800<\/td>\nR1 659<\/td>\nR1 758<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Plus 13 801+<\/td>\nR2 450<\/td>\nR2 595<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Core 0 – 8 550<\/td>\nR949<\/td>\nR1 005<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Core 8 551 – 13 800<\/td>\nR1 183<\/td>\nR1 253<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Core 13 801+<\/td>\nR1 809<\/td>\nR1 916<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Start 0 – 9 150<\/td>\nR914<\/td>\nR968<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Start 9 151 – 13 800<\/td>\nR1 538<\/td>\nR1 629<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KeyCare Start 13 801+<\/td>\nR2 394<\/td>\nR2 536<\/td>\n5.9%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n