Diabetes Cover on your Medical Aid Health

Here for you, here for your health

Feel reassured that you're not alone if you are living with diabetes. The Diabetes Care Programme gives you access to enhanced support and additional benefits to best manage your condition.

To learn more about the Diabetes Care Programme watch this video.

What is the Diabetes Care Programme?

The Diabetes Care Programme, together with your nominated Premier Plus GP, will help you actively manage your diabetes. The programme gives you and your nominated Premier Plus GP access to various tools to monitor and manage your condition and to ensure you get high quality coordinated healthcare and the best outcomes.

You and your GP can track your progress on a personalised dashboard displaying your unique Diabetes Management Score. This will help to identify the steps you should take to manage your condition and stay healthy over time. The programme also unlocks cover for valuable healthcare services from healthcare providers like dietitians and biokineticists.

How to Register on the Diabetes Care Programme

Any Discovery Health Medical Scheme member registered on the Chronic Illness Benefit for diabetes can join the Diabetes Care Programme.

To have access to the Diabetes Care Programme, you must consult with your nominated Premier Plus GP and be registered on the Chronic Illness Benefit for type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A Premier Plus GP can enrol you on the Diabetes Care Programme through HealthID, provided that you give consent. The Chronic Illness Benefit gives you access to benefits such as medicine, consultations with your Premier Plus GP, specialists, dietitians, and diabetes educators. The Diabetes Care programme will give you additional benefits over and above that already funded under the Chronic Illness Benefit.

Comprehensive, Priority and Saver plan members

Must use your nominated Premier Plus GP for the management of their diabetes, to avoid a 20% co-payment.

Core and KeyCare plan members

Core and KeyCare Core plans must consult with your nominated Premier Plus GP who is also in the Discovery Health GP Network, to avoid a 20% co-payment.

KeyCare Plus plan must consult with yourPremier Plus doctor who is also their chosen primary or secondary doctor, to avoid a 20% co-payment. You must be enrolled by your nominated Premier Plus doctor who is also a participating GP in the KeyCare GP Network.

KeyCare Start plan must consult with your nominated Premier Plus doctor who is also their selected doctor, to avoid a 20% co-payment.

Smart plan members

Must choose a doctor who is on both the Smart and Premier Plus GP networks for management of their diabetes, to avoid a 20% co-payment.

Find a premier plus GP Chronic illness benefit

Here's why you should join the Diabetes Care Programme today!

"Normally when we treat diabetes, we focus so much on life expectancy and preventing complications but we need to remember that quality of life is also important for patients who live with diabetes."

- Dr Christel Olivier

"I have always wanted to provide a facility where people living with diabetes can find the right team of professionals, all under one roof, to help them along their journey."

- Kameretha Beckert

"Living with diabetes means ongoing management of the condition - day to day, hour to hour."

- Kate Bristow

"The Diabetes Care Programme has been very helpful in keeping me on track with visits to my GP."

- Neil Packery

"I am grateful that my diabetes is under control and will do all I can to support my health and wellness going forward."

- Rakesh Mithal

"I would definitely recommend this programme for anyone who is diagnosed with diabetes or who is already living with this condition."

- Merlin Naidoo

"The Diabetes Care Programme is a charm, and excellent! The programme brings the focus back onto patient care."

- Dr Mahomed Rafiq Noorbhai

"The Diabetes Care Programme is of great benefit. Patients on the programme are engaged in their care, and know they have to come in for a certain number of visits which are funded in full."

- Dr Martine Joffe

Game-changing glucose sensor saves lives

"For the first few weeks after Bella's diagnosis, Lance and I were both completely numb. We were trying to wrap our heads around this as a lifelong illness."

- Bella Hawkins

"I can check my blood sugar 40 times a day, with no needles in my fingers"

- Emma Allen

Terminology explained Procedure information library

Additional benefits for members with diabetes

Cover for continuous glucose monitoring sensors with members living with type 1 diabetes

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) automatically tracks blood glucose levels giving you the ability to test your glucose level at any time and better manage your condition. When appropriately prescribed by a doctor in our network, members with type 1 diabetes have cover for continuous glucose monitoring sensors up to a monthly cover amount. Cover depends on your chosen health plan. This Benefit is not available on the KeyCare Series.

More information

Find a provider in our network

Home Monitoring Device Benefit for essential home monitoring

If you meet the Scheme's benefit entry criteria, we pay up to a limit of R4,500 per person per year, at 100% of the Discovery Health Rate (DHR), for a defined list of home monitoring devices such as a telemetric glucometer device for diabetes and devices for other conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive cardiac failure and pneumonia. Approved cover for these devices will not affect your day-to-day benefits but certain frequency limits may apply.

Simple ways to manage your diabetes

Download these resources to help you on your diabetes journey.

Annual diabetes
management calendar

Questions to ask
your care team

Diabetes Care Programme