Discovery medical aid and rehab: how cover works in 2026

If you or someone you love is on Discovery Health Medical Scheme and needs help with alcohol or drugs, the first question is usually “will Discovery pay?”. The honest answer is “partly, under specific rules”. The good news is that Discovery explains those rules clearly in a public 2026 benefit document. This page sets them out in plain language, shows where Liberty Home fits in, and explains what to do next.

If someone is in danger right now (a seizure, severe confusion, hallucinations, chest pain, or they can’t be woken), don’t wait for an authorisation. Call an ambulance on 10177 (or 112 from a cell phone) or go to the nearest emergency unit. Schemes treat genuine emergencies differently from planned admissions.

Discovery: we bill directly. Liberty Home is registered with Discovery for direct billing. Please call us on +27 60 014 4200 or WhatsApp +27 84 775 8623 before you plan an admission, and we’ll check your option and what Discovery is likely to authorise. Detox isn’t covered: South African medical aids don’t currently pay for detox at Liberty Home, including the 3-day detox benefit, so it is self-funded.

In short: Yes, in-hospital rehabilitation is covered as a Prescribed Minimum Benefit. Discovery’s 2026 guide sets this at up to 21 days of rehabilitation per person per year, at its designated service providers and with pre-authorisation. Out-of-hospital rehab is excluded. Detox at Liberty Home isn’t covered by Discovery or any other South African medical aid, so it is self-funded.

Call admissions +27 60 014 4200

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What Discovery publishes about rehab cover (2026)

Discovery’s own 2026 benefit guide on alcohol, substance and drug rehabilitation says:

In-hospital rehab is covered as a PMB. Alcohol, substance and drug abuse is otherwise a general scheme exclusion, but in-hospital rehabilitation is a Prescribed Minimum Benefit.
Rehab: up to 21 days in hospital each year at a DSP, including accommodation, therapy, medical consultations and medicines needed for treatment. These are the maximum days per person per calendar year, and once they are used Discovery will not fund further in-hospital treatment for dependency that year.
Out-of-hospital rehab is not covered. Discovery states that out-of-hospital treatment, support or rehabilitation for alcohol, substance or drug dependency is a general scheme exclusion.
Using a non-DSP: Discovery pays up to 80% of the Discovery Health Rate (DHR), and you pay the difference, which can be more than 20% if the provider charges above DHR. This co-payment does not apply in an emergency.
No pre-authorisation: Discovery pays only up to 70% of DHR for the admission.
No DSP near you: if there is no DSP facility close to where you live or work, Discovery says to contact it to pre-authorise and it will confirm how it can pay in full without co-payments.

Discovery lists its DSPs for this benefit on the Find a healthcare provider tool on its website and app.

What this means for an admission at Liberty Home

We bill Discovery directly. Liberty Home is registered with Discovery Health Medical Scheme for direct payment, as we are with schemes such as GEMS, Bestmed, Medihelp and Profmed. Under Prescribed Minimum Benefits, medical aids pay for 21 days of inpatient treatment; the balance of the programme is a co-payment. What Discovery pays depends on your option and the authorisation, so call admissions on +27 60 014 4200 before you plan an admission and we’ll check your cover with you.

Discovery’s cover also depends on where the treatment happens:

At a Discovery DSP for this benefit, Discovery’s guide says up to 21 rehab days a year are covered once authorised.
At a provider that isn’t a DSP, Discovery’s published rule is payment up to 80% of DHR, with the balance payable by the member, provided the admission is pre-authorised. Discovery confirms which rule applies when it authorises the admission, and we’ll explain what it means for you.
Detox isn’t covered: South African medical aids don’t currently pay for detox at Liberty Home, including the 3-day detox benefit, so it is self-funded.
Days beyond what Discovery authorises, and our Phase 2 and Phase 3 programmes, should be planned as self-funded, because Discovery excludes out-of-hospital rehab.

What the law says every scheme must cover (PMBs)

Every registered medical scheme in South Africa must cover a defined list of Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) under the Medical Schemes Act 131 of 1998. The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) lists the substance-use PMBs as:

PMB code (DTP)	Condition	Treatment the scheme must fund
182T	Abuse of or dependence on a psychoactive substance, including alcohol	Hospital-based management up to 3 weeks a year
910T	Alcohol withdrawal delirium; alcohol intoxication delirium	Hospital-based management up to 3 days, leading to rehabilitation
910T	Delirium caused by amphetamines, cocaine or other psychoactive substances	Hospital-based management up to 3 days

Three points from the same CMS guidance matter most for families:

PMBs cover in-patient (“hospital-based”) care. The CMS states that the PMB regulations do not include out-patient treatment for substance abuse.
Schemes may appoint designated service providers (DSPs). If you choose a non-DSP voluntarily, the scheme may ask you to pay part of the bill as a co-payment. The CMS advises getting this clarified in writing, which we will help you do.
To be paid as a PMB, the diagnosis must be on the PMB list, the treatment must be PMB level of care, and the scheme’s rules (pre-authorisation, DSP, protocols) must be followed.

These are the minimums schemes must fund in general, not a promise about any particular clinic. South African medical aids don’t currently cover detox at Liberty Home, including the 3-day detox benefit; detox here is self-funded.

Why 28 days and the scheme’s day limit don’t always match

Our minimum stay is 28 days per phase, because that is roughly how long it takes to stabilise, complete detox and do real therapeutic work. The PMB benefit for substance dependence, by contrast, is defined by the CMS as hospital-based management up to 3 weeks a year. So even when Discovery authorises a PMB admission, the authorised days may be fewer than a full phase. Phases 2 and 3 are usually a different level of care from what schemes fund as in-patient treatment.

We would rather you know this on day one than discover it at discharge. We’ll show you the gap, if there is one, before you commit to anything. You can see our indicative self-funded prices on rehab costs in South Africa.

Step by step: from first call to admission

Call or WhatsApp us. Phone +27 60 014 4200 or WhatsApp +27 84 775 8623. We’ll listen, ask a few safety questions about withdrawal risk and explain the options.
Clinical screen. A member of the clinical team assesses the person, often on the same day. The assessment produces the diagnosis, ICD-10 code and treatment plan the scheme will ask for.
Pre-authorisation: we obtain it. Liberty Home requests the pre-authorisation from Discovery, with the diagnosis and clinical motivation signed by our doctor or psychiatrist. The family doesn’t have to do this. Discovery requires pre-authorisation for every rehab admission (2026 guide). When it authorises the admission, it confirms the cover and which DSP rules apply.
The scheme’s decision. Discovery decides whether the admission is authorised and for how many days, and issues the authorisation number. We’ll go through the decision with you.
Billing and the co-payment. We bill Discovery directly, and Discovery pays a fixed rate for the authorised days. A co-payment applies; we’ll explain it before admission. At the same time we explain anything else that is self-funded (for example detox, which South African medical aids don’t currently cover at Liberty Home, days beyond the authorisation, or Phase 2 and 3) and any deposit.
Extensions. If the clinical team believes a longer stay is needed, we can apply to Discovery for an extension. Each extension needs a new pre-authorisation, and Discovery decides. Progress reports go to Discovery only with the patient’s consent.

What the family needs to have ready

We obtain the pre-authorisation from Discovery, and it goes much faster when we have the following:

The patient’s membership card: membership number, dependant code and option/plan name
ID number (or passport number) for the patient and the main member
Details of the patient’s GP and of any psychiatrist or psychologist they already see
A list of current medication, including anything bought over the counter
Previous admissions, detoxes or hospital stays, with approximate dates
A short, honest account of what is being used, how much and for how long. Our clinicians use this for the medical assessment, and it is treated confidentially.
A contact person for the family and a way to pay the co-payment, the detox and any days the scheme doesn’t authorise

Consent matters. Our patients are adults, so we need the patient’s own consent before we share their health information with their scheme (including progress reports) or with family members. If your loved one isn’t ready to talk to us yet, call us anyway. We can guide you on how to have that conversation (see how to help someone with an alcohol problem).

ICD-10 codes: what they are and who chooses them

Medical schemes pay claims against a diagnosis code from the ICD-10 system. Substance-use conditions sit in the block F10â€“F19, “Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use”. For example, F10 covers alcohol and F11 covers opioids, and the fourth character shows the type of problem (“.2” is dependence syndrome, “.3” is withdrawal state).

The diagnosis and code come from a clinician after a proper assessment. Families should never pick a code themselves. The code has to reflect the person’s actual clinical picture, because schemes compare it with the motivation and treatment plan. The diagnosis and the clinical motivation we send to the scheme are signed by our doctor or psychiatrist.

About Liberty Home Manor

Liberty Home Manor is a residential addiction treatment centre for adults (18+) at 5 Boulder Road, Marina Da Gama, Cape Town. Here are the facts a medical scheme case manager, or a worried family, usually asks about first:

Registration. The Manor is registered with the Department of Social Development under the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act 70 of 2008: certificate 15/10/3/4/2-17/2026, for a maximum of 21 adults, valid until 14 July 2031. You can see the certificate on our licensing and clinical governance page.
Detox on site. We detox all substances on site, with registered nurses on duty 24/7 and doctors on call around the clock. If withdrawal becomes medically acute, our doctors refer to hospital and we stay involved until the person can safely return.
Medication and therapy. Registered nurses dispense all medication. Psychological care is led by an HPCSA-registered clinical psychologist, and we treat co-occurring conditions such as depression, anxiety and trauma alongside the addiction (see dual diagnosis treatment).
A phased programme. Phase 1 (primary care) and Phase 2 (secondary care) take place at the Manor. Phase 3 (supported, tertiary living) takes place at our Lodge in Kenilworth. Each phase has a minimum stay of 28 days. More on our phases of recovery.
Medical aid. We bill your medical aid directly for the programme. We obtain the pre-authorisation for you, and the scheme pays us directly at a fixed rate for the authorised days. A co-payment applies; we’ll explain it before admission. Detox is not covered: South African medical aids don’t currently pay for detox at Liberty Home, including the 3-day detox benefit, so detox is self-funded, and we’ll give you the cost before admission. Liberty Home Manor’s practice number is 1355821, and we are registered for direct payment with many South African schemes, including Discovery, GEMS, Bestmed, Medihelp and Profmed. Registration with Momentum and the Medscheme-administered schemes (such as Bonitas, Polmed and Fedhealth) is in progress. Under Prescribed Minimum Benefits, medical aids pay for 21 days of inpatient treatment; the balance of the programme is a co-payment. How many days your scheme authorises depends on its rules and your option, and we go through this with you before admission.

Frequently asked questions

Does Discovery medical aid cover rehab?

Yes, in-hospital rehabilitation is covered as a Prescribed Minimum Benefit. Discovery’s 2026 guide sets this at up to 21 days of rehabilitation per person per year, at its designated service providers and with pre-authorisation. Out-of-hospital rehab is excluded. Detox at Liberty Home isn’t covered by Discovery or any other South African medical aid, so it is self-funded.

Does Discovery cover rehab at Liberty Home?

Yes, we are registered with Discovery and bill it directly for the programme, subject to Discovery’s pre-authorisation and your option. Under Prescribed Minimum Benefits, medical aids pay for 21 days of inpatient treatment; the balance of the programme is a co-payment. Please contact admissions on +27 60 014 4200 before planning an admission and we’ll check your cover with you. What Discovery pays also depends on the authorisation and on whether it treats the admission as being at a DSP. Discovery’s published rule for a non-DSP is payment up to 80% of the Discovery Health Rate, with the member paying the difference. We check your option and the authorisation with you. A co-payment applies; we’ll explain it before admission. Detox isn’t covered: South African medical aids don’t currently pay for detox at Liberty Home, including the 3-day detox benefit, so it is self-funded.

What happens if an admission isn’t pre-authorised by Discovery?

Discovery’s 2026 guide says it will pay only up to 70% of the Discovery Health Rate for an admission that wasn’t pre-authorised. That’s why we obtain the authorisation before a planned admission.

Is detox covered by Discovery?

No, not at Liberty Home. South African medical aids, including Discovery, don’t currently pay for detox at Liberty Home, including the 3-day detox benefit, so detox is self-funded and we’ll give you the cost before admission. Detox at Liberty takes place on site, with 24/7 nursing with doctors on call. If withdrawal becomes acute, our doctors refer to hospital.

We have used the 21 days this year. Can Discovery still pay?

Discovery’s guide says that once the annual days are used it will not fund further in-hospital treatment for dependency for the rest of that calendar year. Further treatment would then be self-funded.

Will Discovery pay for Phase 2 or Phase 3?

Phase 2 (secondary care at the Manor) and Phase 3 (supported living at our Lodge in Kenilworth) are a different level of care from the in-patient treatment schemes fund under PMBs. Discovery states that out-of-hospital rehabilitation is a general scheme exclusion. Assume they are self-funded unless your scheme confirms otherwise.

Which ICD-10 code is used for a Discovery rehab authorisation?

Substance-use conditions are coded in the ICD-10 block F10â€“F19 (for example F10.2, alcohol dependence syndrome). The code is chosen by the assessing clinician from the actual clinical picture, never by the family, and it has to match the motivation sent to the scheme.

What if Discovery declines the authorisation?

We ask the scheme for the reason in writing. Often it comes down to missing clinical information, a DSP requirement or the level of care, and a fuller motivation can change the outcome. If you believe a PMB has been wrongly refused, you can use the scheme’s internal dispute process and then lodge a complaint with the Council for Medical Schemes. Self-funding is also an option, and we’ll explain the costs so you can compare.

Talk to us before you decide

You don’t need to understand your Discovery benefits before you call. That’s our job. Phone admissions on +27 60 014 4200 or WhatsApp +27 84 775 8623. We’ll talk you through the next safe step and deal with your scheme for you. You can also use our contact form.