Insurance & Medical Aid · Contact details
Discovery Chronic Contact Details
Discovery’s chronic department takes Chronic Illness Benefit applications, prescription changes and appeals by email at CIB_APP_FORMS@discovery.co.za. Members with questions about chronic cover call 0860 99 88 77, and HIV treatment is handled separately by the HIVCare programme on 0860 100 417. These details come from Discovery’s Chronic Illness Benefit page, its 2026 application form and its 2026 chronic cover guide on discovery.co.za, read on 16 September 2026.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory, not Discovery Health. We cannot check whether a condition or medicine is approved.
Official provider route
| What it is for | Contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sending a completed Chronic Illness Benefit (CIB) application form | CIB_APP_FORMS@discovery.co.za, or post to Discovery Health, CIB Department, PO Box 652919, Benmore, 2010 | The outcome is sent to you by email |
| Emailing a new prescription when your doctor changes an approved treatment plan | CIB_APP_FORMS@discovery.co.za | No new application form is needed for a changed medicine |
| Appeal for extra cover for a Chronic Disease List condition | CIB_APP_FORMS@discovery.co.za, with the “Request for additional cover” form and medical information | An appeal is not an automatic approval |
| HIV and AIDS treatment (do not use the CIB form) | 0860 100 417 (HIVCare programme) | For enrolment and information |
| Member questions on chronic cover | 0860 99 88 77 | Mon to Fri 07:00 to 20:00; Sat 08:00 to 13:00 |
| Doctors and pharmacists | 0860 44 55 66 | Mon to Fri 07:00 to 18:00 |
| WhatsApp (Ask Discovery) | Save 0860 756 756 and send “Hi” | 24/7 |
Discovery does not publish a direct phone number for the CIB department itself. The application form can also be submitted online through the Virtual Agent under Medical Aid, Get Help, Submit a document, and a doctor who uses HealthID can apply online once you have given consent.
Letters for the CIB department go to PO Box 652919, Benmore, 2010, while the 2026 guide lists 1 Discovery Place in Sandton as the office members can visit. Discovery publishes no turnaround time for emailed applications.
Product or service support
The Chronic Illness Benefit is available on every Discovery Health Medical Scheme plan, including Smart, Core and KeyCare. It covers approved medicine for the 27 Chronic Disease List conditions that are Prescribed Minimum Benefits. Medicine on the CIB medicine list is paid in full up to the Scheme Rate; medicine not on the list is paid up to the Chronic Drug Amount, except on Smart and KeyCare plans, where the Reference Price for that medicine category applies. Executive and Comprehensive members, other than on the Classic Smart Comprehensive plan, also have cover for Additional Disease List conditions such as major depression, osteoporosis and psoriatic arthritis.
MedXpress can deliver monthly chronic medicine or have it ready at a participating pharmacy.
Eligibility, account or policy requirements
Cover is not automatic. You apply for each condition, and your doctor completes the relevant sections and attaches test results where the form asks for them. Discovery asks that all test results and reports listed on the form go in with the application to avoid delays. Some conditions need a specialist: for example, hypertension in a patient younger than 30 must be applied for by a specialist physician, and glaucoma by an ophthalmologist. The 2026 form is valid only for 2026, and a newly diagnosed chronic condition needs a fresh application.
Where you collect medicine matters. On Priority, Saver, Smart and Core plans, members must use a MedXpress Network Pharmacy or pay a 20% co-payment. KeyCare Plus members use a network pharmacy or their chosen GP, KeyCare Core members a network pharmacy, and KeyCare Start members a state facility.
Escalation route
- Ask 0860 99 88 77 why an application or medicine was declined, and what extra clinical information would change the outcome.
- Complain through the scheme’s online form using the “Chronics, HIV, Oncology” category, then escalate to the Principal Officer at principalofficer@discovery.co.za.
- If the scheme’s final decision stands, lodge a formal dispute or contact the Council for Medical Schemes (0861 123 267, complaints@medicalschemes.co.za), which regulates the scheme and can be approached at any point.
Sources
- discovery.co.za: Chronic Illness Benefit page, read 16 September 2026
- discovery.co.za: Chronic Illness Benefit application form 2026, read 16 September 2026
- discovery.co.za: Cover for medicine and treatment of chronic conditions 2026, read 16 September 2026
- medicalschemes.co.za published contact details