Just Not That

Dear Discovery Health,

I hope you found my previous post helpful. This time I’m going to tell you how to save loads of money.

Medical Aid schemes are a business after all and with those blinkers on you have two ways to increase the bottom line – you increase members’ contributions or you cut benefits. Both cases Discovery wins, members lose.

Now allow me to remove those blinkers and show you a better way where everybody wins. There are a few ways for a baby to be delivered – Caesarean section in hospital, Normal Vaginal birth In hospital, Normal Vaginal birth In hospital or birth centre with a private midwife, Home birth with a private midwife.

According to the Board of Health Care Funders, vaginal births in hospital cost around R15 000 while C-Sections cost on average R26 000. A home birth will probably cost you less than R10 000.

Now a home birth or birth centre may not be for everyone, but when you have a member that wants to go this route, you should encourage them, so make it worth their while and pay more of what they claim as they are actually saving you lots of money.