Discovery Coastal Core???

HI SimmyBunz,

The Coastal Core Plan covers all private Hospitals in the western cape, even Origin. Ask the Discovery Consultant to look under New Beginnings Maternity Holdings, as this is the name under which Origin has registered themselves with Medical Aids. I am not certain whether Origin charges agreed Discovery rates or whether you will have a co-payment. If you are going to opt for a Private Suite, be aware that there will be an additional charge which will be your own account.

Discovery will pay for all related accounts such as those from the gynaecologist/obstetrician, midwife, anesthetist
and other healthcare services from your Hospital Benefit - provided they charge the agreed Discovery rate. If you make use of healthcare professionals who they ave a payment arrangement they will pay their approved procedures in full. Is someone does charge more than that, you will receive invoices after birthing and it will be your responsibility to settle the account.

Any pregnancy-related consultations, tests scans, medication and antenatal classes prior to hospitalization have to be covered by you in full, as your plan does not cover any of this. Even the medication to take home after birthing will be on your own account. If you can 'cheat' the system and have it ordered prior to your release, I would say go for it. No harm done in trying.

Hope the above helped.

Thanks Maj!
It turns out that there online tool was/is still faulty so it showed no hospitals as fully covered. I was so frustrated, and as a result I have to wait until I'm 9 weeks for my first appointment as they couldn't tell me what hospitals I could go to and when I eventually found out, that was the earliest appointment.

I desperately wanted to use Origin but Discovery says that they are not on their system when they use the practice number to search. I can't see why not, maybe because they're so new?

I've now booked with Dr Siebritz at Cape Gate Medi Clinic. He charges med aid rates.
Using Discovery's online tool, all anesthetists and all pediatricians at Cape Gate (except for 1) charge med aid rates, so I think this means for the entire birth I won't pay anything in?? Except for my take home medication. I read about somebody that asked the nurse to order that the night before so that it would be charged to the medical aid... Clever.

I, of course, have to pay for all my prenatal visits myself as Coastal Core has no medical savings.

If at any point in the next few months I learn that I can go to Origin I will probably transfer.
Even though none of their doctors are within medical aid rates, so I will have to pay in for the birth.

Thanks for all your help!!

Hi SimmyBunZ, med aids are so cryptic and confusing!!

im on a coastal saver, i think the diff between that and coastal core, is that I have a "medical savings account" ontop of the hospital plan-correct me if I am wrong about what coastal core is!

im also in CT, so the coastal bit is covered!
I just had my 2nd child at netcare blaawberg. Everything at the hospital was covered, excpet for some small amounts (total of less than R100!)
What was not covered, and had to be paid cash or from my medical savings account:
- blood tests
- gynea (partially paid)
- anesthetist (partially paid)
- pharmacy for med on discharge

for some reason the pediatrician was paid from the med aid-guess he charged med aid rates, and not 200-300% more like the other dr's!

So unless my understanding of "coastal core" is wrong, you should be covered at the hospitals, even Origin!

hope that helps!!

Hi all!

I'm on the Discovery Coastal Core plan and am looking for a hospital that is fully covered?

I phoned them today but was just redirected to their website.
For some reason, all hospitals just show was Partial Cover and when I click for more information it says "Plan cover: You can use this facility for your approved hospital admission. However, because this facility does not form part of the Coastal Hospital Network, you will have to pay an amount upfront. There is no overall limit for hospital cover."
What hospitals ARE in the Coastal Hospital Network then???

I'm in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town but I'm willing to go to a Southern Suburbs hospital too..
Is there anybody in my area that has given birth on this plan? Please would you tell me what hospital you used, what Ob/Gyn and if you had to pay in extra for the birth?

Thanks in advance!