Discovery Health Medical Scheme shares update on new Smart Saver Plan series ahead of January 2026 launch

As a result, the Smart Saver plan series is designed around four key pillars:

• Affordability – Designed for young families, with contributions starting from only R2,750 for a principal member, R2,350 for an adult dependant, and R895 per child on the Essential Smart Saver plan. For a family of four, pricing starts from R6,890 per month.

• Hospital cover – Unlimited benefits for hospital admissions in the Smart Hospital Network protect families against large, unexpected costs and ensure they can access quality care when they need it most.

• Guaranteed risk-funded benefits for essential day-to-day healthcare – Unlimited Smart Network GP visits, annual dental and optometry check-ups, acute and over-the-counter medicine, contraceptives, and sports and kid’s injury benefits.

• Flexibility to fund unique healthcare needs – The combination of a Medical Savings Account and the Personal Health Fund provide funding for unique day-to-day healthcare.

Data-driven benefit design defines both plan options

Market analysis shows that 84% of families visit general practitioners annually, and over 90% rely on over-the-counter medicine – making these the most commonly used healthcare services across households.

Both Classic Smart Saver and Essential Smart Saver include day-to-day cover for unlimited Smart Network GP visits, annual dental and optometry check-ups, acute and over-the-counter medicine and contraceptives. The plans also cover sports injuries, kids’ injuries, maternity, chronic illnesses, oncology and mental healthcare.

Although members of young families are statistically less likely to be hospitalised, the average admission cost remains around R70,000 per event for all members, making comprehensive hospital cover essential.

Consequently, both Smart Saver options include an unlimited number of hospital visits within the Smart Hospital Network, and full cover for network specialists. Classic Smart Saver covers up to 200% of the Discovery Health Rate for non-network specialists, and Essential Smart Saver up to 100%.

“This plan series reflects Discovery Health Medical Scheme’s commitment to understanding the healthcare risks and affordability needs of members,” explains Dr Whelan.

Integrating two powerful benefits for additional day-to-day healthcare

Smart Saver integrates two complementary benefits to supplement the guaranteed risk benefits: a Medical Savings Account and Personal Health Fund, giving families flexibility in how they manage their day-to-day healthcare needs.

Through Personal Health Pathways – Discovery Health’s AI-powered platform that guides members through personalised health actions on the Discovery Health app – members can earn up to R500 per health action completed into their Personal Health Fund, which can then be used for their day-to-day medical expenses.

“The integration of Personal Health Pathways and the Personal Health Fund means members can earn valuable healthcare benefits for engaging in personalised actions that help them sustain better health. In this way we are creating a virtuous cycle that rewards members for prioritising their health and realising additional Scheme benefits for their unique healthcare needs – a clear example of shared value in healthcare,” adds Dr Whelan.

For a family of four on Classic Smart Saver, families can earn up to R20,000 per year (up to a total of R10,000 for completing recommended health actions and an additional R10,000 for completing Health Challenges) in their Personal Health Fund. On Essential Smart Saver, families can earn up to R12,000 per year (up to R6,000 for completing recommended health actions and an additional R6,000 for completing Health Challenges) in their Personal Health Fund.

Additionally, a family of four on a Classic Smart Saver has access to R7,560 in a Medical Savings Account and R5,808 on Essential Smart Saver.

Young families show high engagement levels in Personal Health Pathways

From January to mid-November 2025:

• Over 450,000 Discovery Health Medical Scheme members had activated their Personal Health Pathway.

• They completed more than 2.7 million weekly exercise actions and 470,000 health actions. These included over 72,000 mental-wellbeing assessments, 27,000 health checks, 30,000 dental checks, 8,500 mammograms, 7,500 prostate screenings and 4,700 bowel-cancer screenings.

• At the same time, members earned more than R37 million in rewards and accumulated over R260 million in their Personal Health Funds (which can be used to cover day-to-day healthcare expenses - a tangible example of healthy choices translating into real-world value for Scheme members).

Dr Whelan adds, “We are delighted with the strong uptake and engagement in Personal Health Pathways. Our data shows that young families, in particular, value the digital experience and rewards the programme offers. Activation and completion rates are 24% and 18% higher, respectively, for young families (DHMS data, 2025), underscoring how actively they are using our digital tools to build healthier lifestyles.”

Building on proven success: Active Smart becomes the fastest-growing new plan in the Scheme’s history

The Smart Saver series builds on the remarkable success of Active Smart, which was introduced in January 2025 to meet the needs of young professionals. In less than a year, Active Smart has grown to over 22,000 lives, becoming the fastest-growing new plan in the Scheme’s history. More than 80% of new members are under 40 years, a demographic profile that has driven efficient healthcare utilisation and long-term sustainability – enabling a 0% contribution increase for members on the Active Smart medical aid plan in 2026 (maintaining 2025 rates of R1,350 per month). This positions DHMS as a leading provider of smart, affordable healthcare solutions for young professionals.

“Smart Saver has been created from the same principles that made Active Smart so successful – affordability, relevance and innovation,” says Dr Whelan. “Together, the Active Smart plan and new Smart Saver plan series reflect DHMS’s ongoing commitment to accessible, high-quality healthcare at every stage of life.”