Take the steps to even greater health with your family by screening via the WELLTH Fund

20TWENTYME and the WELLTH Fund

If it's been a while since your last check up, chances are you're not entirely sure whether you could be at higher risk for developing a lifestyle health condition such as diabetes or hypertension. When left untreated or poorly managed, such health conditions can escalate, often resulting in more severe disease. This can have a significant impact on a person's lifespan (life expectancy) and healthspan (years spent in good health).

"If conditions like cancer can be diagnosed, and diabetes or hypertension managed as early as possible, this can result in at least 131,000 fewer days in hospital per year for Discovery Health Medical Scheme members; as well as an annual saving of R120 million for the medical scheme," says Discovery Health Chief Executive. "Hence why screening and early detection is so important - for people's quality of life, as well as for the scheme that aims to better protect them."

South Africans aren't screening as much as they should

"Screening rates are currently quite low in the healthcare sector," says Dr Noach. "At Discovery Health Medical Scheme, we've noted a significant decline in screening rates among members since the end of 2019. For instance, Health Checks through the scheme have dropped by 50%, mammograms by 15%, pap smears by 12% and prostate screening by 10% - to name a few."

"This is largely because of the pandemic and the limited access people had during the various waves and subsequent lockdowns," he adds. "People were understandably more cautious about being around others. One downside of this is that early detection of underlying health conditions for many people will have been missed during this time. And this can have severe long-term impacts for individuals and the medical scheme."

"For us, this is of great concern, and we'd like to encourage our members to go for regular screenings once again - especially now that the threat of severe COVID-19 disease has abated a bit. It's safer for people to head back to their healthcare providers for general Health Checks. So, to help encourage this, we're launching the WELLTH Fund," he explains further.

What is the WELLTH Fund?

The Discovery Health Medical Scheme WELLTH Fund is designed as a once-in-a-lifetime benefit that covers a comprehensive list of discretionary screening and preventive healthcare services for all scheme members, over and above those already covered by the Screening and Prevention Benefit. Any claims for screenings made against this fund will not impact a member's Medical Savings Account or Above Threshold Benefit.

"The WELLTH Fund will enable our members to better understand their own health status with a maximum provision of R10,000 per family being made available for them to use for a wide range of screening services," explains Dr Noach. "With this understanding, members will then be able to better manage and improve the state of their own health."

The fund is available to all existing Discovery Health Scheme members and across all health plan types for a maximum of 2 benefit years: 1 January 2023 - 31 December 2024. New members to the scheme will also automatically qualify for the fund when they join. Their benefit period will then end on 31 December of the following year.

How does the WELLTH Fund work?

To unlock the WELLTH Fund, members are required to complete an in-person, age-appropriate Health Check at a Discovery Store, an accredited pharmacy, or GP or at an employer's Wellness Day. This Health Check will be covered by the medical scheme from the embedded Screening and Prevention Benefit.

"Health Checks are an important screening tool that benchmark's a person's basic health metrics, which can then be used to better manage or improve their health status. The Health Check effectively unlocks the WELLTH Fund. Each adult of a policy will be allocated an amount of R2,500, and children between the ages of 2 and 18 will be allocated R1,250 each. Kids under the age of two will not be required to complete a Health Check but will still have full access to the fund once a primary member has activated the benefit" explains Dr Noach. "This gives members access to six broad categories of health screening services."

What health screening services will the WELLTH Fund cover?

Healthcare services that will be covered include:

Various medical devices can also be covered under the benefit, and include:

• Blood pressure monitors
• Glucometers
• Cholesterol monitors
• Peak flow meters
• Spirometers

The above medical devices purchased through a qualified healthcare provider with a valid practice number, and which have been registered with NAPPI codes will be covered by the WELLTH Fund as needed.

All screenings done at any registered healthcare provider with a practice number will qualify for funding from the benefit. Members can use their Health Check results to choose which of the screenings they'd like to be funded by the benefit.

"Although for a limited time, the WELLTH Fund is a significant addition to our suite of benefits that is aimed at encouraging members to take better care of themselves and their loved ones. The adage, 'prevention is better than cure' is very much a reality for us all; and one which we hope use of the WELLTH Fund during the next few years will help to serve our members well," Dr Noach concludes.

Learn more about the WELLTH Fund and how you can best use it for the optimal health of your family here.

The Discovery Health Medical Scheme is an independent non-profit entity governed by the medical schemes act, and regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes. it is administered by a separate company, Discovery Health (pty) ltd, an authorised financial services provider.