Insurance & Medical Aid · Contact details
Discovery Medical Aid Contact Details
The Discovery medical aid contact number is 0860 99 88 77 (+27 11 529 6900 from outside South Africa). This is the customer care line for Discovery Health Medical Scheme members, open Monday to Friday 07:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 13:00, closed Sundays and public holidays. The scheme’s WhatsApp service is on 0860 756 756, and for a medical emergency you call Discovery 911 on 0860 999 911 at any hour. Discovery lists no general email address for members. Have your membership number ready before you call: the agent cannot confirm benefits or claims without it. Everything below was read from discovery.co.za on 14 September 2026.
Discovery medical aid contact details at a glance
| What you need | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital authorisations, claims, benefits, membership, debit orders | 0860 99 88 77, +27 11 529 6900 abroad | Mon to Fri 07:00 to 20:00; Sat 08:00 to 13:00 |
| WhatsApp (Ask Discovery) | 0860 756 756 | Chat any time; agents Mon to Fri 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Medical emergency or medically equipped transport (Discovery 911) | 0860 999 911, +27 11 529 6900 abroad | All hours |
| Healthcare professionals and service providers | 0860 44 55 66, healthpartnerinfo@discovery.co.za | Mon to Fri 07:00 to 18:00 |
| Employers (billing and administration) | 0860 99 88 77, administration@discovery.co.za | Mon to Fri 07:00 to 20:00; Sat 08:00 to 13:00 |
Discovery medical aid customer care number
0860 99 88 77 is the single member line for the jobs that matter most on a medical aid:
- Hospital authorisations: get pre-authorisation before a planned admission, with the practice details and the procedure to hand
- Claims and benefits: ask why a claim was paid or declined, or what your plan covers, with the claim date, provider and amount ready
- Membership and accounts: update your details or query a contribution debit order
The call centre closes on Sundays and public holidays, so only Discovery 911 and the WhatsApp bot work then. For something that cannot wait, such as an emergency admission, call 0860 999 911 and quote your membership number. Discovery also offers a Get Help service on its website, which it recommends as the fastest first stop.
Is there a Discovery medical aid toll free number?
The member numbers on Discovery’s contact page are 0860 numbers: 0860 99 88 77 for the call centre and 0860 999 911 for emergencies. We have no 0800 phone number on record for Discovery Health Medical Scheme, and the contact page does not describe either line as toll-free. If call cost matters, the WhatsApp service on 0860 756 756 and the Get Help service on the website are the alternatives Discovery offers.
Discovery medical aid claims queries
For a query about a claim on your Discovery medical aid, call 0860 99 88 77 and have the claim date, the provider’s name and the amount in front of you, along with your membership number. The agent can tell you why the claim was paid, part-paid or declined and what your plan covers. Discovery’s contact page lists no claims email address for members, so a claim query goes by phone, by WhatsApp on 0860 756 756 or through the Get Help service.
Healthcare practices with a claim query use a different line, 0860 44 55 66, described under service providers below.
Discovery medical aid WhatsApp number
Save 0860 756 756 to your contacts and message Ask Discovery on WhatsApp. It answers questions and sends documents, such as a membership certificate, instantly at any time of day. If your query needs a person, agents take over the chat Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:00. For a document request this is usually quicker than phoning, and it leaves you with a written record.
Discovery medical aid email address for queries
Discovery’s contact page does not list a general email address for individual medical aid members. Member queries go through 0860 99 88 77, WhatsApp or the Get Help service, and complaints through the online forms described below. The published email addresses are for specific groups: healthpartnerinfo@discovery.co.za for healthcare professionals, and administration@discovery.co.za for employers with billing, administration and membership maintenance queries. Cash schemes should contact their portfolio administrator.
Discovery medical aid emergency number
The emergency number is Discovery 911 on 0860 999 911, answered at all hours. It is for a medical emergency or when you need medically equipped transport. From outside South Africa, the number on the contact page is +27 11 529 6900. Quote your membership number when you call.
Contact number for service providers
Doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other practices use 0860 44 55 66, Monday to Friday 07:00 to 18:00, closed weekends and public holidays. The line handles validating a patient’s membership, confirming benefits, claim queries and benefit information. Have your practice number and the patient’s details ready when you call. Practices already registered on the Discovery website but without access to the Health Professional Zone can apply using the form Discovery links from its contact page.
Discovery medical aid complaints and disputes
Discovery Health Medical Scheme runs a three-step process, and each step has its own form:
- Step 1, complaints form: once you have used the first-time channels (the phone line, Get Help or WhatsApp) and your query is still unresolved, complete the online complaints and compliments form. A Client Relationship Manager will contact you. Monday to Friday 07:00 to 17:00.
- Step 2, Principal Officer: if you are still not satisfied, escalate to the Principal Officer of the Scheme through its online form.
- Step 3, formal dispute: if you have received a final decision and want to challenge it, complete the Dispute form or call 0860 99 88 77 to discuss it.
Discovery Health Medical Scheme versus Discovery Health
Discovery Health Medical Scheme is an independent non-profit medical scheme governed by the Medical Schemes Act and regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes. It is administered by a separate company, Discovery Health (Pty) Ltd, an authorised financial services provider. For day-to-day questions the difference does not change the number you dial, but it explains why an unresolved complaint goes to the Scheme’s Principal Officer, not to a Discovery company. Gap cover is a separate insurance product sold alongside the medical aid, with its own contact and complaints route.
Discovery medical aid head office contact details
The Discovery Group headquarters is at 1 Discovery Place, Sandton, 2196, with other offices in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. These are corporate offices; for in-person help Discovery points members to Discovery Stores. No separate head office phone number for the medical scheme is listed on this page, so members use 0860 99 88 77. For other Discovery companies, including Discovery Bank, Vitality, Insure and Life, see the Discovery group contact page linked below.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Discovery medical aid contact number?
0860 99 88 77, Monday to Friday 07:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 13:00. From outside South Africa, call +27 11 529 6900. For a medical emergency, call Discovery 911 on 0860 999 911.
What is the Discovery medical aid email address?
There is no general email address for members. The published addresses are healthpartnerinfo@discovery.co.za for healthcare professionals and administration@discovery.co.za for employers.
Does Discovery medical aid have a WhatsApp number?
Yes. Message Ask Discovery on 0860 756 756. Agents are available in the chat Monday to Friday 07:00 to 17:00.
How do I query a Discovery medical aid claim?
Call 0860 99 88 77 with your membership number, the claim date, the provider and the amount, or ask on WhatsApp on 0860 756 756.
How do I complain to Discovery medical aid?
Complete the online complaints and compliments form. If that does not resolve it, escalate to the Principal Officer of the Scheme, and then use the Dispute form.
How do I know these Discovery Medical Aid details are correct?
We only list details read from the official website or channels of Discovery Medical Aid, and this page shows the date they were checked. Confirm on the official site before you share personal information or make a payment.
Sources
- Discovery Contact Us page (Discovery Health Medical Scheme, Discovery 911, healthcare professionals and employers), discovery.co.za, read 14 September 2026
- Discovery Health Medical Scheme Complaints, compliments or disputes page, discovery.co.za/medical-aid/complaints-and-disputes, read 14 September 2026