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

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

2 hours ago, Fitbull said:

Looking at buying a Garmin Forerunner and hoping to use the Vitality Device benefit and possible miles. Does anyone know if its possible to use the Device benefit and miles on D-Day? How would I get this? do you still get D-day miles if you pay instore?

You can yes, did this a few months back for my wifes watch.
Just buy a voucher on D-Day with your miles. 2 QR codes to scan and then pay the difference.

[Supersix CT]

Hi All, 

Wanting to get my wife a garmin to track her work outs as her apple watch 3 is not working so well anymore. She prefers the fitness tracking watches rather than the GPS running watches. Will this still get her the vitality points as I am assuming that it will show time and heart rate.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Supersix CT]

On 6/24/2022 at 11:25 AM, binxc said:

I am on gold. If you click on the various "wheels" on the app, it will tell you where the shortfalls in points are. I have a Discovery credit card, savings account with the bare minimum in and medical aid. My insurance, retirement annuity, other savings etc are all with other providers. You just need to make sure that you have submitted valid proof of these to Discovery for them to count. I'm not super wealthy so it is possible to achieve this. My home loan is paid off though, this probably makes a difference because my savings are not sitting in the access bond to reduce the interest. 

Yeah, the money sitting in the access bond is where I fall short - the 4.05 "Dynamic interest rate" is a bit too low compared to my 7.48% on home loan. 

[Dicky DQ]

Can you get a discount on Discovery life if you leave Vitality and forego the cash back ripoff?

It is way easy to get all the vitality points and integration bonuses if you are young, but as you age and have dependents of between 21 and 25 it is basically impossible to stay on diamond if any one of you gave some ailment. 

It is easy to get to silver and a big push to gold, but diamond is a stretch too far. So the result is I don't care any more about Vitality, just looking for an exit to another life and health cover without loosing too much. Just waiting for my next 5 year payout then I am gone (2 years to go).

The sad thing is the we bought into the integration, and only after the 1st year see that what we moved from to go to Discovery was actually better and more cost effective. Sad but true. School fees!!!

[Dexter-morgan]

1 hour ago, Dicky DQ said:

Can you get a discount on Discovery life if you leave Vitality and forego the cash back ripoff?

It is way easy to get all the vitality points and integration bonuses if you are young, but as you age and have dependents of between 21 and 25 it is basically impossible to stay on diamond if any one of you gave some ailment. 

It is easy to get to silver and a big push to gold, but diamond is a stretch too far. So the result is I don't care any more about Vitality, just looking for an exit to another life and health cover without loosing too much. Just waiting for my next 5 year payout then I am gone (2 years to go).

The sad thing is the we bought into the integration, and only after the 1st year see that what we moved from to go to Discovery was actually better and more cost effective. Sad but true. School fees!!!

We changed to discovery life and invest, we are on Diamond I was till hit with 20% premium increase because we claimed a bit too much on our medical aid side, and I got no vitality integration benefit, their excuse was that we did not do our Vitality health checks in time - They are a bunch of crookes, I just wonder what is going to happen in case of a claim? what excuses are they going to think up.

I don't trust them, they will change things as and when they wish.

[Frosty]

4 hours ago, Supersix CT said:

Hi All, 

Wanting to get my wife a garmin to track her work outs as her apple watch 3 is not working so well anymore. She prefers the fitness tracking watches rather than the GPS running watches. Will this still get her the vitality points as I am assuming that it will show time and heart rate.

Thanks

The Garmin device needs to record HR, from the wrist or a chest strap, then load directly to Garmin Connect. From there it will automatically push to Vitality.

Check if the device you want has a wrist-based HR monitor otherwise you’ll be stuck having to wear a strap for every activity.

I haven’t checked the ranges out, but if you post your options here, someone will confirm it will work (if not me).

[Supersix CT]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

The Garmin device needs to record HR, from the wrist or a chest strap, then load directly to Garmin Connect. From there it will automatically push to Vitality.

Check if the device you want has a wrist-based HR monitor otherwise you’ll be stuck having to wear a strap for every activity.

I haven’t checked the ranges out, but if you post your options here, someone will confirm it will work (if not me).

https://www.takealot.com/garmin-forerunner-45s-sports-smartwatch-39mm-white/PLID66830776?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9ZGYBhCEARIsAEUXITUqI4RIQlvqvX5Sw3SznimkTakYkoBqqZQRhCuuIVG2Ou9sTrYEp-IaAkK9EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Have been convinced about getting GPS one as well and the Mrs does not mind the look, she was just worried it would look like a G Shock!!

See that can get it at 50% off with discovery - just have to wait till the vitaility points for fitness devices resets from 5% back up to 25%.  

I am then guessing can use discovery miles to pay in store at Sportsmans? Thanks for the help

[Frosty]

25 minutes ago, Supersix CT said:

https://www.takealot.com/garmin-forerunner-45s-sports-smartwatch-39mm-white/PLID66830776?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9ZGYBhCEARIsAEUXITUqI4RIQlvqvX5Sw3SznimkTakYkoBqqZQRhCuuIVG2Ou9sTrYEp-IaAkK9EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Have been convinced about getting GPS one as well and the Mrs does not mind the look, she was just worried it would look like a G Shock!!

See that can get it at 50% off with discovery - just have to wait till the vitaility points for fitness devices resets from 5% back up to 25%.  

I am then guessing can use discovery miles to pay in store at Sportsmans? Thanks for the help

It’s not a bad device.

You get R25% off the first R2000 every month at SWH; if you’ve both done your health check and online stuff. So that’s R500 off.

To qualify for Vitality Gear, you get the additional up to 75%, but you need to be a DiscoBank client. You will see the discount showing on the app (see my example below). Then, based on the next 12 months, you’ll start replenishing that x% every week you meet the weekly goal.

Why not go for the Apple Watch benefit again? It costs R999 and then nothing more if you achieve your weekly goals.

[Supersix CT]

15 hours ago, Frosty said:

It’s not a bad device.

You get R25% off the first R2000 every month at SWH; if you’ve both done your health check and online stuff. So that’s R500 off.

To qualify for Vitality Gear, you get the additional up to 75%, but you need to be a DiscoBank client. You will see the discount showing on the app (see my example below). Then, based on the next 12 months, you’ll start replenishing that x% every week you meet the weekly goal.

Why not go for the Apple Watch benefit again? It costs R999 and then nothing more if you achieve your weekly goals.

Have got 2 of the apple watches, just find the tracking of activities on the apple watch is hit and miss with discovery. (Using the activity APP). 

Have discovery money and now see that will get 55% off. All I have to do is deposit an extra R200k into my disco savings account to get 75% off

When you use the 55% upfront off, can you also use your discovery miles? 

Is the double points day always the 15th of the month? Would this include the conversion at Sportsmans?

Its taken so long to work out all the updates to the points system again, last year was the first year we missed diamond due to moving house, getting run over and the court case after that. So good to start working these things out.

[Frosty]

8 hours ago, Supersix CT said:

When you use the 55% upfront off, can you also use your discovery miles? 

Is the double points day always the 15th of the month? Would this include the conversion at Sportsmans?

Its taken so long to work out all the updates to the points system again.

1. Yes, miles is a method of payment.

2. Yes, the 15th of each month, and yes, works at Sportsman’s (I paid R6k and got R10k worth of miles that I used for my Kickr Core purchase).

3. That’s what this thread is for; helping each other.

[eddy]

What is a portion of fruit or veg and how many should one eat ?

When doing the health checks Discovery asks how many potions of Fruit and veg I eat a day, but there is no indication of what constitutes a portion. Also, what is the optimum number of fruit portions and how many vegitables ?

[ChrisF]

6 minutes ago, eddy said:

What is a portion of fruit or veg and how many should one eat ?

When doing the health checks Discovery asks how many potions of Fruit and veg I eat a day, but there is no indication of what constitutes a portion. Also, what is the optimum number of fruit portions and how many vegitables ?

 

Goggle "Plan your Plate", though that typically applies to "supper".

 

Breakfast may or may not include a fruit, which would be a "portion".

 

A snack between breakfast and lunch should include a fruit, which will be a "portion".

 

Lunch similar to breakfast, as in that it may or may not include a portion of fruit.

 

The afternoon snack may be Jogurt or a portion of fruit.

 

Supper typically will have a some vegetables in it, as per "Plan your plate".

 

 

Typical day will have 1 to 2 portions of fruit.

 

 

 

When dealing with fruit such as grapes, a portion is about a small fist size.

 

 

 

PS - this is the older more traditional approach.  Various fad diets steer to extremes on either side ....

 

[Frosty]

39 minutes ago, eddy said:

What is a portion of fruit or veg and how many should one eat ?

When doing the health checks Discovery asks how many potions of Fruit and veg I eat a day, but there is no indication of what constitutes a portion. Also, what is the optimum number of fruit portions and how many vegitables ?

5 will get you full marks

 

[Spookie]

Question for the discovery health experts (broker has been useless…):

I know dentistry is not covered by Medical Aid, however has anyone had experience in respect of trauma and whether they will then cover the cost? Eg… falling off your bike face first, smashing yourself up quite well, and one of the issues turns out to be a tooth which now has a severed nerve, and requires a root canal in order to save it (well, “save”, ie not get an implant instead). 

Was looking at the website and it only seems to make reference to basic dental trauma treatment being covered in hospital/day clinic, but not at dentists rooms. So does this mean they won’t cover it even though it was a direct result of facial trauma? 
 

thanks in advance 🙏

[ChrisF]

5 hours ago, Spookie said:

Question for the discovery health experts (broker has been useless…):

I know dentistry is not covered by Medical Aid, however has anyone had experience in respect of trauma and whether they will then cover the cost? Eg… falling off your bike face first, smashing yourself up quite well, and one of the issues turns out to be a tooth which now has a severed nerve, and requires a root canal in order to save it (well, “save”, ie not get an implant instead). 

Was looking at the website and it only seems to make reference to basic dental trauma treatment being covered in hospital/day clinic, but not at dentists rooms. So does this mean they won’t cover it even though it was a direct result of facial trauma? 
 

thanks in advance 🙏

 

Different DH plans has different dental cover.

 

Then it further differentiates beteween a normal dental visit and a range of specialist procedures ....

 

PS ... similar for most medical aids.

 

 

So you need a shopping list of what is wrong, and what remedial steps are needed.  This then gets compared with your specific medical plan.

 

Mostly .... as dental is "planned procedures" it is covered from your savings plan.  If you dont have a savings plan most of these costs are for your pocket.

 

 

If you had a bad fall and was taken to hospital, and admitted due to your injuries .... SOME of the emergency detal MAY be covered under the hospital plan.  BUT the bulk of the reconstructive work will be done after leaving hospital, thus covered from your savings, or paid from your pocket.

 

 

Disclaimer - this is based on my experiences with DH.  A broker should guide you through this process ... but without that shopping list it is difficult, and often the Dr does not give the list beforehand .... horrible catch 22

[NotSoBigBen]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

 

Different DH plans has different dental cover.

 

Then it further differentiates beteween a normal dental visit and a range of specialist procedures ....

 

PS ... similar for most medical aids.

 

 

So you need a shopping list of what is wrong, and what remedial steps are needed.  This then gets compared with your specific medical plan.

 

Mostly .... as dental is "planned procedures" it is covered from your savings plan.  If you dont have a savings plan most of these costs are for your pocket.

 

 

If you had a bad fall and was taken to hospital, and admitted due to your injuries .... SOME of the emergency detal MAY be covered under the hospital plan.  BUT the bulk of the reconstructive work will be done after leaving hospital, thus covered from your savings, or paid from your pocket.

 

 

Disclaimer - this is based on my experiences with DH.  A broker should guide you through this process ... but without that shopping list it is difficult, and often the Dr does not give the list beforehand .... horrible catch 22

Having just gone through this recently, you pretty much have it correct. I fortunately have 'gap' cover as well, busy fighting with them about the dental work I needed after my first big fall mid August ... thank heavens in a way that in my recent fall I didn't have any teeth issues ...