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Discovery Care Programmes at NeoHealth

If you are a Discovery Health member with a chronic condition, your medical scheme runs structured programmes that give you extra benefits beyond standard chronic care. NeoHealth is contracted on Discovery's Premier Plus GP Network and Premier Plus HIV GP Network, and both Dr Chellan and Dr Lakay can enrol you onto any of the Care Programmes directly during your consultation.

  • Premier Plus GP Network and Premier Plus HIV GP Network accredited
  • In-consultation enrolment through HealthID, no extra forms or waiting period
  • Either doctor as your nominated GP; switch within the practice without losing programme enrolment
  • Drs Chellan & Lakay Inc, Practice Number 1221566

Published 25 April 2026

How nomination works

Under Discovery's Premier Plus model, your chronic care is anchored to a nominated GP at a nominated practice.

Your nominated practiceis Drs Chellan & Lakay Inc (Practice Number 1221566), trading as NeoHealth. This is where your chronic care file lives, where your prescriptions are coordinated, and where your scheme records you as receiving care.

Your nominated GP is either Dr Ethan Chellan or Dr Claudia Lakay, whichever you prefer. Both doctors are Premier Plus accredited and both are accredited on the Premier Plus HIV Network. That means either doctor can be your nominated GP for any Care Programme: Diabetes, Cardio, HIV, Mental Health, Depression Risk Management, or Disease Prevention. You choose; we do not ration which doctor sees which condition.

You can also switch between Dr Chellan and Dr Lakay within the practice without losing your programme enrolment, because the practice nomination stays the same.

Who runs your chronic care

One doctor at NeoHealth knows your full picture. Specialists, dietitians, biokineticists, psychologists and pharmacists all feed back into that doctor. You stop being passed between providers who do not talk to each other.

This is how chronic disease is meant to be managed. The Care Programmes are Discovery's way of formalising it and funding it properly.

Chronic Illness Benefit and Care Programmes: what is the difference

It is worth understanding the two layers here.

The Chronic Illness Benefit (CIB) is the underlying scheme cover for chronic conditions. If you are a Discovery member and you are diagnosed with a qualifying chronic condition, your scheme funds your medication, tests and consults related to that condition under CIB rules. CIB is automatic once registered; every Discovery member with a chronic diagnosis can access it.

The Care Programmessit on top of CIB. They are structured management programmes for specific conditions where evidence shows that coordinated, GP-led care produces better outcomes. Enrolling onto a Care Programme unlocks additional scheme-funded benefits beyond what CIB alone provides, plus the structured annual review and access to coaching, allied health, and Discovery's digital tools.

You need to be on CIB for the relevant condition before you can be enrolled on the matching Care Programme. We confirm both at your visit.

The programmes you may qualify for

Both Dr Chellan and Dr Lakay can manage any of these. Choose whichever doctor you prefer as your nominated GP.

Diabetes Care Programme

For members on the Chronic Illness Benefit for diabetes. Focuses on glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol control. Includes scheme-funded access to a dietitian, regular structured reviews, and tracking of HbA1c, BP, lipids, kidney function and eye and foot screening.

Cardio Care Programme

For members on the Chronic Illness Benefit for hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, or high cholesterol. Aims to reverse cardiometabolic disease where possible, prevent heart attacks and strokes, and protect heart function in patients with established disease.

HIV Care Programme

For members registered on the Chronic Illness Benefit for HIV. Covers the full continuum: testing, treatment initiation, monitoring viral load and CD4, switching regimens if needed, and integrated management of any other conditions you live with. Both Dr Chellan and Dr Lakay are accredited Premier Plus HIV GPs.

Mental Health Care Programme

For members with a clinical diagnosis of episodic major depression who meet entry criteria. Covers GP consultations, antidepressant medication, referral to psychotherapy, and access to internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) you can do from home.

Depression Risk Management Programme

A six-month programme for members identified as being at higher risk of depression, before a full episode develops. Combines clinical care with mental health coaching and additional scheme benefits. Identification is based on Discovery's mental wellbeing assessment or their predictive model.

Disease Prevention Programme

A twelve-month programme for members at high risk of developing diabetes or cardiovascular disease, identified by Discovery's predictive model. Includes structured clinical care, coaching, and enriched scheme benefits aimed at preventing disease before it starts.

You can be enrolled on more than one programme at the same time if you qualify for more than one. Most chronic patients do.

What you actually get as a patient

Five things programme enrolment unlocks above and beyond standard chronic care.

Extended annual review

Standard consults are short. The Care Programmes include a longer annual review where we go through your full picture: every medication, every test result, lifestyle and stress factors, treatment goals for the year ahead. Your scheme covers this in place of a routine consult.

Better scheme cover

Each programme unlocks additional scheme-funded benefits beyond standard CIB. Dietitian sessions for diabetes, psychotherapy for mental health, social worker referral for HIV, biokineticist for cardio. The exact list depends on your plan.

Personal Health Pathways

Discovery's personalised health plan inside the app, built using AI on millions of patient records. Targeted activity, screening reminders, medication reviews. Your NeoHealth doctor can review and endorse recommended actions through HealthID.

Health coaching

Qualifying patients on certain programmes get access to scheme-funded health coaches who help with lifestyle change, medication adherence, and self-management between doctor visits.

Continuity at the practice

Drs Chellan & Lakay Inc becomes your nominated practice and one of our doctors becomes your nominated GP. Your file follows you. We catch drift early, and you can switch between doctors without losing programme enrolment.

What you need to do

Enrolment is in-consultation. When you come in for a chronic care visit, we confirm your CIB registration through HealthID and enrol you. There is no separate form, no Discovery call centre to navigate, no waiting period. It happens in the room.

Bring your Discovery membership details on your first chronic visit. Membership number is enough.

Stay engaged. The programmes work on a follow-up model. Your scheme expects you to see your nominated GP at least annually for a structured review and more often if your condition is unstable. Skip your reviews and you risk falling out of the programme.

For HIV care, you will be asked for HIV-specific consent. This is standard, separate to general programme consent, and protects your privacy.

Schemes we are contracted with

NeoHealth is a Premier Plus practice for Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) and the schemes Discovery administers.

DHMSKeyCareClassic SmartEssential SmartBankmedLA HealthMMEDREMEDIRetailSasolmedTFGTsogo SunUKZNNetcare

DHMS includes all plans (KeyCare, Classic Smart, Essential Smart, Essential Smart Dynamic). LA Health covers Active, Core, Comprehensive, Focus and KeyPlus. Smaller Discovery-administered schemes (EMBF, Malcor, Bemas) also participate. Programme participation varies slightly by scheme; we will check your specific eligibility at your visit.

Practical next step

If you are a Discovery member with diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, ischaemic heart disease, HIV, depression, or you have been told you are at high risk for diabetes or heart disease, book a chronic care consult at NeoHealth. We will confirm your CIB status, enrol you on the relevant programme(s), and start coordinated management from that visit.

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