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

[Vaultboy]

51 minutes ago, Jono said:

Which is the free account? When I go to pay as you transact, the lowest option is R25 per month. Is it a savings account? I see the savings accounts have no monthly fee. Do you get access to miles and flight discounts with the savings account?

I've got a free account. No banking fees. Its a virtual VISA 'transaction' account; its not a credit card, i.e. it always has to have a positive balance, but I can enter the card details into any credit card payment facility. So its like a prepaid credit card. You also get a free savings account bundled with it, with a 5.9ish interest rate. Its just Discovery wanting you to give them more money to pool. 

[Bub Marley]

10 minutes ago, Vaultboy said:

I've got a free account. No banking fees. Its a virtual VISA 'transaction' account; its not a credit card, i.e. it always has to have a positive balance, but I can enter the card details into any credit card payment facility. So its like a prepaid credit card. You also get a free savings account bundled with it, with a 5.9ish interest rate. Its just Discovery wanting you to give them more money to pool. 

This is correct.

 

And I think you need to preload the card if you want to book any flights. I think you have to use this card to get the discounts on the flights and pay with this card, although I could be mistaken. 

[The Ouzo]

2 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

If you don’t understand the product correctly and how the benefits work together, then it will be frustrating

Its frustrating because they make it so complicated to understand. And years ago when I was about to join discovery I was trying to get all the info I needed to make a decision, but all that info appeared to be hidden behind membership access, so you could only know what you're getting AFTER you join.

IMHO Discovery are surfing their previous reputation of being great with great benefits, but they've over complicated something that should be straight forward. Maybe they're trying to keep their brokers in jobs.

[Bub Marley]

Just now, The Ouzo said:

Its frustrating because they make it so complicated to understand. And years ago when I was about to join discovery I was trying to get all the info I needed to make a decision, but all that info appeared to be hidden behind membership access, so you could only know what you're getting AFTER you join.

IMHO Discovery are surfing their previous reputation of being great with great benefits, but they've over complicated something that should be straight forward. Maybe they're trying to keep their brokers in jobs.

I agree their product is over complicated. It actually put me off recommending the product to clients because of how complicated it is. I will say the new updated Life product has somewhat got ridden of some of the complications like the financial integrator nonsense and some of the stuff. Its still overly complicated though.

 

That is why I alway say, the product is not for everyone. You need to engage and keep up to date with it to actually benefit from it. If you can do all of that then the rewards are well worth the frustrations. But it’s not for everyone. And ofcourse you need to be active.

 

Ive bought Nike shoes discounted by 2k, garmin computer discounted by 50% and then funded the balance with miles. I’ve benefitted from local flights with good discounts. I get on average R1500pm back from the healthy foods and healthy care benefit. I get cash back at Nandos. I got 50% back on my entry fees on the following races: 99er, tour de PPA, Argus, winelands, Old Hermon, Boland Gravel Monster, Durbie Dash, One Tonner.  They’re also currently paying my Apple Watch. I just paid an activation fee.

 

So again not for everyone but if you do engage its rewarding.

[The Ouzo]

20 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

I agree their product is over complicated. It actually put me off recommending the product to clients because of how complicated it is. I will say the new updated Life product has somewhat got ridden of some of the complications like the financial integrator nonsense and some of the stuff. Its still overly complicated though.

 

That is why I alway say, the product is not for everyone. You need to engage and keep up to date with it to actually benefit from it. If you can do all of that then the rewards are well worth the frustrations. But it’s not for everyone. And ofcourse you need to be active.

 

Ive bought Nike shoes discounted by 2k, garmin computer discounted by 50% and then funded the balance with miles. I’ve benefitted from local flights with good discounts. I get on average R1500pm back from the healthy foods and healthy care benefit. I get cash back at Nandos. I got 50% back on my entry fees on the following races: 99er, tour de PPA, Argus, winelands, Old Hermon, Boland Gravel Monster, Durbie Dash, One Tonner.  They’re also currently paying my Apple Watch. I just paid an activation fee.

 

So again not for everyone but if you do engage its rewarding.

If I wanted to be an Actuary I would have studied that.

My med aid. life cover, insurance needs to operate in the background, I should not need to think of it until the poop hits the fan.

To ask me to pay a monthly rewards fee, and then still have to jump through ever changing hoops, the changes of which you need to hunt down from various documents and study every possible scenario to get the most bang for buck.

Yes you're right, Vitality is not for me, and it looks like their health care is year by year becoming less suited to me too.

[ChrisF]

49 minutes ago, The Ouzo said:

Its frustrating because they make it so complicated to understand. And years ago when I was about to join discovery I was trying to get all the info I needed to make a decision, but all that info appeared to be hidden behind membership access, so you could only know what you're getting AFTER you join.

IMHO Discovery are surfing their previous reputation of being great with great benefits, but they've over complicated something that should be straight forward. Maybe they're trying to keep their brokers in jobs.

 

Its been rumoured that they are positioning themselves in the event of the NHI ending Discovery Health.....

[ChrisF]

41 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

I agree their product is over complicated. It actually put me off recommending the product to clients because of how complicated it is. I will say the new updated Life product has somewhat got ridden of some of the complications like the financial integrator nonsense and some of the stuff. Its still overly complicated though.

 

That is why I alway say, the product is not for everyone. You need to engage and keep up to date with it to actually benefit from it. If you can do all of that then the rewards are well worth the frustrations. But it’s not for everyone. And ofcourse you need to be active.

 

Ive bought Nike shoes discounted by 2k, garmin computer discounted by 50% and then funded the balance with miles. I’ve benefitted from local flights with good discounts. I get on average R1500pm back from the healthy foods and healthy care benefit. I get cash back at Nandos. I got 50% back on my entry fees on the following races: 99er, tour de PPA, Argus, winelands, Old Hermon, Boland Gravel Monster, Durbie Dash, One Tonner.  They’re also currently paying my Apple Watch. I just paid an activation fee.

 

So again not for everyone but if you do engage its rewarding.

 

Cureosity sake - number of years back the Vitality rewards "fell flat" if a member of the family was not into exercise.  Is it still like this ?

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Vaultboy said:

I've got a free account. No banking fees. Its a virtual VISA 'transaction' account; its not a credit card, i.e. it always has to have a positive balance, but I can enter the card details into any credit card payment facility. So its like a prepaid credit card. You also get a free savings account bundled with it, with a 5.9ish interest rate. Its just Discovery wanting you to give them more money to pool. 

well well, guess who is a brand new member of discovery bank with a zero fee account.

flights are worth the effort it seems, but don't quote me on that just yet!

 

[Vaultboy]

2 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

This is correct.

 

And I think you need to preload the card if you want to book any flights. I think you have to use this card to get the discounts on the flights and pay with this card, although I could be mistaken. 

You are correct. You have to use your Discovery account to make payment, so you need to preload it with the balance (after subtracting your miles). 

[Bub Marley]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

 

Cureosity sake - number of years back the Vitality rewards "fell flat" if a member of the family was not into exercise.  Is it still like this ?

what do you mean by fell flat?

 

Rewards are based on tier level. Both husband and wife need to contribute to the total points. If one doesn’t then you wont get to a gold or diamond tier.

[lechatnoir]

32 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

what do you mean by fell flat?

 

Rewards are based on tier level. Both husband and wife need to contribute to the total points. If one doesn’t then you wont get to a gold or diamond tier.

you described 'falling flat' perfectly right there

 

[ChrisF]

2 hours ago, Bub Marley said:

what do you mean by fell flat?

 

Rewards are based on tier level. Both husband and wife need to contribute to the total points. If one doesn’t then you wont get to a gold or diamond tier.

 

Jip, well described.

 

My wife has NO interests in sports, so we were never going to reach any worthwhile levels.

 

Ideally, it would have been nice if only me could join Vitality.  Back then this was not an option.

 

Thus my question - any way around this for the modern family, who are willing to move bank, insurance, life etc to maximise benefits ?

[Jono]

5 hours ago, Vaultboy said:

I've got a free account. No banking fees. Its a virtual VISA 'transaction' account; its not a credit card, i.e. it always has to have a positive balance, but I can enter the card details into any credit card payment facility. So its like a prepaid credit card. You also get a free savings account bundled with it, with a 5.9ish interest rate. Its just Discovery wanting you to give them more money to pool. 

I phoned them, was told free account no longer an option for me because I chose the paid for account. They’re going to find the recording of the phone call when they convinced me to take the paid option. Thanks Discovery 

[Vaultboy]

45 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

My wife has NO interests in sports, so we were never going to reach any worthwhile levels.

Ideally, it would have been nice if only me could join Vitality.  Back then this was not an option.

Thus my question - any way around this for the modern family, who are willing to move bank, insurance, life etc to maximise benefits ?

I'm also in this boat. I hit my goals pretty much every week, and cap out my 30 000 points for the year, but its only good enough for Silver. At Silver, you only get 25% off flights etc, which isn't bad, but I've found similar discounts elsewhere.  I reckon spouses need to earn at least 15 000 out of the available 30 000 for the year to make it into Gold, which is where the benefits get good; plus they at least need to do the annual health assessments. I even struggled to get my wife to do that, but she did in the end. 

 

that said, even at Silver I get at least R1500 a month back for my R465 monthly vitality fee, so its still worthwhile to jump through the hoops.

[ChrisF]

AAAAAaaaannnndddd .....

 

Get ready for the Vitality goal posts to move sooner rather than later.

 

Adrian Gore has his eye set on the R280 miljard worth of home loans from Discovery clients.

 

Guess what .... "adjustable interest rates as per the clients credit profile"  (loosely translated)

 

[Andymann]

I'm on a 211 week exercise goal streak and doing a 70.3 in the Philippines on the 21st.  I plan to recover for a week after in the Philippines, so dropped a mail to Discovery to see if I could pause training for that week while I recover. 

No chance said the Lady.  Who then tried to get me to join Discovery Bank, where, if I did, I would be able to take a rest week. 

I did in passing, ask the question that as a Medical Aid company, didn't they think is was risky expecting someone who has done an extreme event, like the Comrades, or Iron-man to not take a rest week to recover if they would like to keep their streak going, and offer no alternative, other than to exercise on a smashed immune system and risk getting sick?

Silence of course is also an answer.....