What is Preventive screening?
Preventive screening is important to make sure that medical conditions are detected early. As a Discovery Health Medical Scheme member, you have access to essential screening and prevention benefits.
What we cover
This benefit pays for certain tests that can detect early warning signs of serious illnesses. We cover various screening tests at our wellness providers, for example, blood glucose, cholesterol, HIV, Pap smear or HPV test for cervical screening, mammograms and/or ultrasounds and prostate screenings. A Health Check is a simple but helpful set of basic health screenings that are covered annually. A Health Check is performed at the point of care with finger-prick tests.
Screening for kids
This benefit covers growth assessment tests, including height, weight, head circumference and health and milestone tracking at any one of our wellness providers.
Screening for adults
This benefit covers certain tests such as blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and HIV screenings at one of our wellness providers.
We also cover:
A mammogram every two years
A Pap smear once every three years or a HPV test once every five years
A PSA test (prostate screening) each year
A bowel cancer screening tests every two years (for members between 45 and 75 years old)
You also have access to a mental wellbeing assessment per year. You can find out more here.
Screening for seniors
In addition to the screening for adults, members aged 65 years and older have cover for a group of age appropriate screening tests at a GP in the Premier Plus network or in our defined pharmacy network. Cover includes hearing and visual screening and a falls risk assessment. You may have cover for an additional GP falls risk assessment, when referred by a Premier Plus GP, depending on your screening test results and if you meet the Scheme's clinical entry criteria.
Book your Health Check 65+ online today
How we pay
These tests are paid from the Screening and Prevention Benefit. Consultations that do not form part of Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) will be paid from your available day-to-day benefits, where applicable.
Additional tests
Clinical entry criteria may apply to these tests:
- Defined diabetes and cholesterol screening tests
- Pap smear or HPV test for cervical screening
- Breast MRI or mammogram and once-off BRCA testing for breast screening
- Colonoscopy for bowel cancer screening.
Vaccines:
- Seasonal flu vaccine for members who are, pregnant, 65 years or older, registered for certain chronic conditions or healthcare professionals
- COVID-19 vaccines are covered from the WHO Global Outbreak Benefit
- Up to two pneumococcal vaccine doses per person per lifetime, covered up to the maximum of the Discovery Health Rate (DHR), for members who meet certain criteria. Find out more here.
The My Family History tool and My Breast Cancer Risk Calculator unlock additional screening benefits where clinically appropriate. Once you complete the assessments and have calculated your risk, you may have access to further screening benefits though the Screening and Prevention Benefit.