Discovery Authorisation Contact Details

The Discovery authorisation contact number is 0860 99 88 77, the Discovery Health Medical Scheme line for hospital authorisations, claims queries and benefit information. From outside South Africa call +27 11 529 6900. The line is open 07:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday and 08:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays and public holidays. Discovery says you must preauthorise a planned hospital admission at least 48 hours before you go in. For medical emergencies call Discovery 911 on 0860 999 911, which answers at all hours. Every detail below was read from discovery.co.za on 17 September 2026.

Discovery authorisation contact numbers

What you need	Contact	Hours
Hospital authorisations (members)	0860 99 88 77	Mon to Fri 07:00 to 20:00; Sat 08:00 to 13:00; closed Sundays and public holidays
Hospital authorisations from outside South Africa	+27 11 529 6900	Same hours
Medical emergencies and medically equipped transport (Discovery 911)	0860 999 911, or +27 11 529 6900 outside South Africa	All hours
Healthcare professionals (validating membership, confirming benefits, claims)	0860 44 55 66, healthpartnerinfo@discovery.co.za	Mon to Fri 07:00 to 18:00; closed weekends and public holidays
WhatsApp (Discovery Health Medical Scheme)	“Get help on WhatsApp” on Discovery’s contact page	Chat at all hours; agents Mon to Fri 07:00 to 17:00
Council for Medical Schemes	012 431 0500, medicalschemes.com	Mon to Fri 07:00 to 17:00

Discovery’s contact page describes 0860 99 88 77 as the number for “hospital authorisations, queries on your claims or benefit information”, and says you can also use it to update your membership details or query a debit order. Have your membership number ready when you call.

Discovery authorisation email address

Discovery’s contact page does not publish a dedicated email address for member hospital authorisations; the authorisation route it publishes is the phone line, 0860 99 88 77. To send Discovery supporting documents, such as a pre-assessment request, Discovery’s 2026 form says to use the Discovery website under Medical Aid, Get Help, Ask Discovery, Submit medical aid document, and follow the guided steps. Doctors’ rooms and other healthcare professionals have their own line, 0860 44 55 66, and email address, healthpartnerinfo@discovery.co.za. Employers use administration@discovery.co.za for billing and membership administration, not for member authorisations.

How to get a Discovery hospital authorisation

1. Get the details from your doctor. Discovery’s pre-assessment form says the preauthorisation department needs the date of service, the treatment and ICD-10 diagnosis codes, and the practice numbers for the hospital and the treating doctor, and that your doctor can give you this information.
2. Call at least 48 hours before admission. Call 0860 99 88 77 with your membership number. Discovery’s hospital cover page says a planned admission must be preauthorised at least 48 hours before you go in.
3. Record your authorisation number. Give it to the hospital and your healthcare providers so it is included on their claims.
4. Take it to admission. For Netcare hospitals, Discovery says to present your hospital preauthorisation number, a valid ID or passport and your medical aid membership card at the admissions counter. Netcare pre-admission documents can be completed online until midnight the night before admission.

In an emergency you can go straight to hospital, or arrange medically equipped transport through Discovery 911 on 0860 999 911. Discovery also has Hospital Benefit Specialists, clinically trained Discovery Health representatives who help members, doctors and hospitals understand the benefits for an admission; Discovery says they review non-emergency medical admissions for members aged 19 or older, and make decisions in line with the Scheme Rules and admission guidelines.

Pre-assessment: a quote for your procedure

A pre-assessment is a separate step from authorisation. Discovery’s 2026 pre-assessment request form (valid until 31 March 2027) says you must first get an authorisation number from the preauthorisation department on 0860 99 88 77, and that a pre-assessment is a quote that does not guarantee payment and does not replace authorisation. Discovery needs at least seven working days to complete it, will only do it before the procedure, and sends the assessment letter only to you. On the form you give the ICD-10 code, practice number, procedure code and a separate rand value for each procedure code; Discovery cannot work with estimated or combined amounts. If your doctor changes or adds codes after the quote, ask for an updated quote. Queries about the form go to 0860 99 88 77.

Authorisation complaints and disputes

Discovery Health Medical Scheme sets out four steps, and “Authorisation” is one of the categories on its complaints form. Step 1: if you have already contacted Discovery and your query is unresolved, complete the online complaints form. Step 2: if you are still not satisfied, escalate to the Principal Officer of Discovery Health Medical Scheme using the Principal Officer form. Step 3: if you have received a final decision and want to challenge it, lodge a formal dispute using the dispute form. Step 4: contact the Council for Medical Schemes on 012 431 0500; Discovery says you may contact the Council at any stage but encourages you to follow the first three steps first. Each form lists hours of 07:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday.

Sources

• Discovery Contact Us page (Discovery Health Medical Scheme and healthcare professionals sections), discovery.co.za/portal/individual/contact-us, read 17 September 2026
• Discovery Hospital cover, Hospital Benefit Specialist and Netcare Pre-admissions pages, and the Pre-assessment request 2026 form, discovery.co.za, read 17 September 2026