How to Cancel Discovery Medical Aid

In short: To leave Discovery Health Medical Scheme, give 30 days’ notice (a calendar month) that you or a dependant are withdrawing. Contact Discovery on 0860 99 88 77, complete their withdrawal process, and get written confirmation of your membership end date plus a membership certificate if you need one for a new scheme. Positive Medical Savings Account (MSA) balances are paid later on Discovery’s published timetable, not as an instant cash-out. This is not medical or financial advice. Confirm on Discovery’s live Health FAQs and the Scheme Rules.

Source: Discovery Health FAQs (“How do I cancel my health plan?” / “How do I withdraw my savings?”).

What you are ending

Discovery Health Medical Scheme is the registered medical scheme. Discovery Health (Pty) Ltd administers it. Vitality and other Discovery products are separate contracts. Ending scheme membership is not the same as stopping a bank debit alone, and it is not the same as cancelling life or short-term insurance.

Notice period

Discovery’s FAQ asks you to tell the scheme 30 days in advance (a calendar month’s notice) before you withdraw yourself or dependants. Contact 0860 99 88 77. You normally owe contributions through the effective end date Discovery confirms, so plan the date carefully.

If your employer requires scheme membership as a condition of employment, check with HR before you resign from the scheme. Scheme Rules also address employer-group exits.

Practical steps

1. Call 0860 99 88 77 or use Discovery’s member Get Help channels and say you want to withdraw (whole membership or named dependants only).
2. Complete any withdrawal form or portal steps they give you.
3. Ask for written confirmation that the request was received and the membership end date.
4. Request a membership certificate (Discovery lists documents under Find documents / Get Help). New schemes often ask for proof of prior cover.
5. Keep copies of forms, emails and SMS confirmations.

Only stop or change the debit order after Discovery confirms the end date, so you do not miss an owed contribution. Related: how to stop debit orders on SA banking apps.

Medical Savings Account when you leave

Discovery’s FAQ states you cannot withdraw money from your allocated MSA while you stay on a savings plan. Positive MSA balances are paid if you have resigned from the Scheme, or downgraded to a plan that does not offer an allocated MSA. Payment is on the first claims run in the fifth month after the effective withdrawal date, so late claims can still be paid.

If you leave or downgrade mid-year after using more MSA than you have repaid, you may owe the scheme the shortfall. Confirm the exact amount with Discovery before you rely on any refund.

Before you go

• Ask the next scheme about waiting periods and late-joiner rules. Gaps in cover can matter.
• Ask Discovery what happens to Vitality and any other Discovery products linked to membership.
• Update hospital, pharmacy and GAP cover details so claims do not go to a closed membership.

Complaints

Unresolved scheme queries: Discovery’s complaints process, then the Principal Officer / scheme dispute path, then the Council for Medical Schemes (0861 123 267). Details sit on the same Health FAQs page.

Last checked: September 2026 against Discovery Health FAQs (30-day / calendar-month notice; 0860 99 88 77; MSA fifth-month claims-run payout theme). Scheme Rules and forms can change. Confirm on discovery.co.za. Not medical or financial advice.