Discovery Health - Vitality & Team Vitality plus everything else you need to know

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Been with Volkskas, then ABSA for decades ....  Their rewards program is based around a different fuel outlet and grocer than we use.  Real pain to fill up at Sasol in the Cape, so not viable in the long run for somebody that is on the road a lot.

 

 

FNB gave me a good deal on a bond, with the full banking package.  We already fill up at Engen and shop at Checkers, so life as usual and it just works for us.  IF you go full tilt and move your investments etc to FNB then you can actually save a LOT of money with ebucks ... but that is the gest of all these programs, lure you in with some rewards, then as your full commitment if you really want to maximize .... actually a very obvious business model.

 

Jip, I was with Absa. Found their charges very high.

Funnily enough been with Nedbank for years, settled vehicles and a bond yet got a better rate on our new home through FNB. Been toying with moving over but it's a big decision that really tie's you down so still weighing it all up........

[Frosty]

Where can one actually see how the rewards work. I am thinking of leaving Discovery Card next year if I can not see how this works to compare against others.

When I was asked to join I was only told I will see the rewards on the app once I activated Discovery banking, but I want to see up front before I switch.

 

Currently getting between 600 to 1000 Rands worth of Discovery miles which I was informed will be falling away with discovery bank so I would like to know how the new rewards work.

I used to get 15% cash back on Sportsman Warehouse as I don’t bother with the fitness test (Wife hates it, so I don’t do it as I won’t get the extra 10% benefit if it was only me). Now I get 25.5% without having to do it.

 

I have a company fuel card, through Engen, so I can’t get the fuel rewards. But the wife gets 50% cash back through the Classic Insure rewards.

 

Kulula is currently at 47% compared to the normal 35%

 

Woolies is 35.5% instead of 20 or 25% (can’t remember what it was before.

 

Other benefits not through Vitality rewards, are the discounted Life Policy premiums that integrate with the various statuses of Vitality, Drive and Bank.

 

Lastly, Discovery Miles hasn’t fallen away, it’s still R15 = 1 Mile, but it’s now called Discovery currency (the same conversion to Miles, as before). Now you can convert it to cash (Monetize), Pay (Spend I store) or Convert (to Voyager/Avios - coming soon).

[ChrisF]

Jip, I was with Absa. Found their charges very high.

Funnily enough been with Nedbank for years, settled vehicles and a bond yet got a better rate on our new home through FNB. Been toying with moving over but it's a big decision that really tie's you down so still weighing it all up........

 

Some observations of my switch from ABSA to FNB, some of these may apply to people wanting to move to Discovery bank as well ....

 

- FNB promised to do ALL debit order changes.  Blatant LIE !  City of Cape Town wont take such instructions from a bank, so YOU walk into the municipal office, took a few minutes so actually no pain.  Medical aid broker had to take care of the Discovery debit order.  I had to deal directly with Telkom ....  Actually was EASY to do it myself !!  As this was the primary reason for not wanting to move, it was a bit of an eye opener to see how easy it is.  Ironically the worst part of this process is FNB's communication systems - you will get regular updates of the debit orders they could not switch, no matter how many times you tell them it is done already.

 

- FNB uses OutSurance for their bond insurance ... so expect unsolicited calls for short term as well ....  In the end I took out bond insurance via my Santam broker.

 

- FNB has changed their banking model over the last few years.  (same as all the main banks)  Gone are the days of speaking to human in a bank !!  Everything is via email or via a call centre.  Go into a branch and they hand you a phone, and you still have to deal with a call centre ....  Their systems work 99% of the time, but heaven forbid you need assistance for that 1% .....  

 

- their banking phone-app works VERY nice.

 

- Used to use the website, but hardly use it since getting the App.  Okayish .... but the App is just much easier.

 

- NOTE !!!!  FNB has a very interesting approach to the phone App, their approach to simm-swap protection ... IMPORTANT to grasp this for when you are due for a new phone (as I am in a few weeks).  The App is linked to the PHONE, not just the number.  Get your new phone, and you have to jump through hoops to let them know your App is now legally on a new device.  Supposedly easy enough when you "upgrade your contract", using the old phone to let them know of the pending change ..... Last time round my old phone drowned and it was pure frustration to get the new one onto the system .... going into a branch was of very little use ....  {I must remember to check up on this before upgrading my contract}

 

 

 

My take on banking in SA .... it is a fast changing playing field.  The bank that sorts out their call centre first may well be called "the best" bank.  

[Reme Le Hane]

Some observations of my switch from ABSA to FNB, some of these may apply to people wanting to move to Discovery bank as well ....

 

- FNB promised to do ALL debit order changes. Blatant LIE ! City of Cape Town wont take such instructions from a bank, so YOU walk into the municipal office, took a few minutes so actually no pain. Medical aid broker had to take care of the Discovery debit order. I had to deal directly with Telkom .... Actually was EASY to do it myself !! As this was the primary reason for not wanting to move, it was a bit of an eye opener to see how easy it is. Ironically the worst part of this process is FNB's communication systems - you will get regular updates of the debit orders they could not switch, no matter how many times you tell them it is done already.

 

- FNB uses OutSurance for their bond insurance ... so expect unsolicited calls for short term as well .... In the end I took out bond insurance via my Santam broker.

 

- FNB has changed their banking model over the last few years. (same as all the main banks) Gone are the days of speaking to human in a bank !! Everything is via email or via a call centre. Go into a branch and they hand you a phone, and you still have to deal with a call centre .... Their systems work 99% of the time, but heaven forbid you need assistance for that 1% .....

 

- their banking phone-app works VERY nice.

 

- Used to use the website, but hardly use it since getting the App. Okayish .... but the App is just much easier.

 

- NOTE !!!! FNB has a very interesting approach to the phone App, their approach to simm-swap protection ... IMPORTANT to grasp this for when you are due for a new phone (as I am in a few weeks). The App is linked to the PHONE, not just the number. Get your new phone, and you have to jump through hoops to let them know your App is now legally on a new device. Supposedly easy enough when you "upgrade your contract", using the old phone to let them know of the pending change ..... Last time round my old phone drowned and it was pure frustration to get the new one onto the system .... going into a branch was of very little use .... {I must remember to check up on this before upgrading my contract}

 

 

 

My take on banking in SA .... it is a fast changing playing field. The bank that sorts out their call centre first may well be called "the best" bank.

I get a new phone yearly. Install app, verify on website and done. 2min tops.

 

What you can't do is tap to pay, one time payments and add new beneficiaries in the app for 7 days.

 

I last changed phones 10m ago and that's how it was.

[ChrisF]

I get a new phone yearly. Install app, verify on website and done. 2min tops.

 

What you can't do is tap to pay, one time payments and add new beneficiaries in the app for 7 days.

 

I last changed phones 10m ago and that's how it was.

 

That's the bit that got me off guard ... and off course I had a couple of payments to do in that week ....    

 

At least know what to expect this time.

 

 

EDIT - got the new phone on Saturday.  De-linked the FNB app on the old phone, before picking up the new phone.  Setup new phone, activated the FNB app.  Proceeded to buy R500 worth of electricity, now the 7 day waiting period.  Went smoothly this time !! 

Edited November 17, 2019 by ChrisF

[Reme Le Hane]

That's the bit that got me off guard ... and off course I had a couple of payments to do in that week ....

 

At least know what to expect this time.

I imagine it's worse if you don't have a verified browser when you do it.

 

If possible just keep the old phone for a week. In your case not, but for the rest o ya'll

[Craai]

snip snip

Lastly, Discovery Miles hasn’t fallen away, it’s still R15 = 1 Mile, but it’s now called Discovery currency (the same conversion to Miles, as before). Now you can convert it to cash (Monetize), Pay (Spend I store) or Convert (to Voyager/Avios - coming soon).

The one difference wrt Discovery miles vs Discover currency is that the currency seems to be worth less (worthless?!) than miles was before

Edited October 29, 2019 by Craai

[DJLouw]

Excuse me if this has been asked and  just point me to the page on this thread. 

 

I phoned discovery bank this morning to find out how to get to diamond status with the black credit card and the terms is:

100k in savings

45k spend during a month

full banking suite.

Is this correct? and does the lower tiers then offer more easier ways to get to daimond status. Cause currently I cannot get my cash back's higher than the gold status if I do not do above.

 

Also spotted the article that Vitality Rewards is gone from Jan 2020. So my weekly smoothie is gone. RIP.....

[DJLouw]

Excuse me if this has been asked and  just point me to the page on this thread. 

 

I phoned discovery bank this morning to find out how to get to diamond status with the black credit card and the terms is:

100k in savings

45k spend during a month

full banking suite.

Is this correct? and does the lower tiers then offer more easier ways to get to daimond status. Cause currently I cannot get my cash back's higher than the gold status if I do not do above.

 

Also spotted the article that Vitality Rewards is gone from Jan 2020. So my weekly smoothie is gone. RIP.....

just found these documents:

https://www.discovery.co.za/assets/discoverycoza/bank/campaigns/disc-bank-money-spend-gold-one-pager.pdf

 

https://www.discovery.co.za/assets/discoverycoza/bank/campaigns/disc-bank-money-spend-platinum-one-pager.pdf

 

https://www.discovery.co.za/assets/discoverycoza/bank/campaigns/disc-bank-money-spend-black-one-pager.pdf

 

[Cheese]

I used to get 15% cash back on Sportsman Warehouse as I don’t bother with the fitness test (Wife hates it, so I don’t do it as I won’t get the extra 10% benefit if it was only me). Now I get 25.5% without having to do it.

 

I have a company fuel card, through Engen, so I can’t get the fuel rewards. But the wife gets 50% cash back through the Classic Insure rewards.

 

Kulula is currently at 47% compared to the normal 35%

 

Woolies is 35.5% instead of 20 or 25% (can’t remember what it was before.

 

Other benefits not through Vitality rewards, are the discounted Life Policy premiums that integrate with the various statuses of Vitality, Drive and Bank.

 

Lastly, Discovery Miles hasn’t fallen away, it’s still R15 = 1 Mile, but it’s now called Discovery currency (the same conversion to Miles, as before). Now you can convert it to cash (Monetize), Pay (Spend I store) or Convert (to Voyager/Avios - coming soon).

Thanks,  Looking at that I might just take them up on the offer.

 

Especially with the Woollies.

I saw in a mail today you will now get Miles via the Vitality health as well , which is probable the reason that the make it worth less.

[bertusras]

Super thankful for my medical aid at the moment. Had a bit of a fall at work and managed to fracture my hip and elbow. 3 hours in surgery, 3 nights in hospital, coming in at just under R130K 

[Frosty]

Super thankful for my medical aid at the moment. Had a bit of a fall at work and managed to fracture my hip and elbow. 3 hours in surgery, 3 nights in hospital, coming in at just under R130K

Ow! Heal up soon.

[Frosty]

I see in a Tweet from Discovery that to get to Diamond in 2020 requires the main member to get 50000 points and the adult dependent (1 only) only requires 25000 (50% of the main member).

 

http://discv.co/VitalityPoints2020

 

 

Vitality points in 2020

 

The Vitality programme is based on a unique combination of clinical evidence, behavioural economics and actuarial expertise. It is grounded in research that shows that people can make a significant impact on their health by changing their lifestyle.

 

In 2020 we will be aligning our points structure to better reflect members' health status and reward them accordingly. This has resulted in some exciting new changes.

 

What can you expect in 2020?

 

 

Points thresholds

 

The number of Vitality points needed to reach Bronze, Silver and Gold Vitality status will be lowered in 2020. A single member will need only 7 500 points to get to Bronze, 25 000 points to get to Silver and 40 000 points to get to Gold in 2020.

 

From 2020 you will no longer have to achieve Gold Vitality status for three consecutive years to reach Diamond status. You can now reach Diamond Vitality status in a single year by earning 50 000 Vitality points. This means that your health and fitness outcomes will now be directly related to your Vitality status. To reach Diamond Vitality status in 2020 you will need to achieve 50 000 Vitality points, even if you reached Gold for the 2 previous years.

 

When you have additional adult dependants on your membership, the additional points that need to be earned in order for the family to reach each Vitality status will be lowered to 50% of the single member threshold. This means that additional adult dependents add 3 750 Vitality points to the threshold for the family to reach Bronze Vitality status, 12 500 points for the family to reach Silver, 20 000 points for the family to reach Gold and 25 000 points for the family to reach Diamond Vitality status. These members can earn a maximum of 25 000 Vitality points per year.

 

 

Points for HIV testing

 

Almost 50% of Vitality members are unaware of their HIV status. In 2020, Vitality points allocations will be updated to encourage first-time screening and to reward management of the condition once diagnosed.

 

These updates include:

 

7 500 Vitality points the first time a Vitality member goes for an HIV test

1 000 Vitality points (awarded once a year) for subsequent HIV screening; this applies to all Vitality members who have previously earned points for doing an HIV test

2 500 points for registration on the HIV Care programme once diagnosed

As a Discovery Health Medical Scheme member, you can grant consent for Vitality to automatically award you points for enrolling in the Discovery Health HIV Care programme. Members on other medical schemes must submit proof of registration to their scheme's HIV programme.

 

 

Online assessments

 

The current 2 500 online assessment points will be earned across two different assessments in 2020:

 

Earn 1 500 Vitality points once a year for finding out your Vitality Age.

Earn 500 Vitality points twice a year for completing the mental wellbeing assessments. Assessments will need to be done 6 months apart.

 

CPR

 

We understand the importance of knowing how to perform CPR, and encourage you to continue to attend these courses. However from 2020 Vitality points will no longer be awarded for completing a CPR course. Courses completed prior to 2020 will still be recognised for the duration of their certification period and points awarded accordingly.

 

 

Chronic condition management

 

In 2020, you can earn up to 4 000 Vitality points per year for effectively managing the following chronic conditions:

 

Diabetes

Hyperlipidemia

Hypertension

Ischaemic heart disease

Weight management

 

Points for children

 

In 2020 we are introducing Vitality Active Rewards for Kids and Teens, to partner with parents to make kids healthier. Instead of earning Vitality points, this new programme directly rewards children with Discovery Miles for doing relevant health checks and participating in physical activity. Children will continue to earn Vitality points towards the family Vitality status for getting vaccinated.

 

Remember to use your Vitality Points Tracker to view all the points you have earned and how you are tracking towards your next Vitality status.

[Frosty]

Think I shall be staying on Gold for a while

[Christofison]

Think I shall be staying on Gold for a while

Thanks for sharing Frosty. Do you have a gold or platinum account? Credit card only or full suite?

[Frosty]

Thanks for sharing Frosty. Do you have a gold or platinum account? Credit card only or full suite?

Platinum full suite.

 

The annual cost of the old Disco Credit Card + my current bank's fees was about R200 less than the Platinum full suite package, and the additional benefits for Platinum vs Gold was a no-brainer. I've decided to keep my current bank's account open, until I move my home loan to another bank.