Discovery’s stakeholders

Why this group is important for us to engage with

Discovery’s customers include over two million members of the Discovery Health Medical Scheme. These customers rely on us to provide them with access to healthcare. In the critical area of healthcare, the way we manage the schemes under our care is important for this stakeholder group to have ongoing access to care.

We also provide life insurance cover to 550 000 customers, most of whom are also clients of Discovery Health. In the area of financial services, Discovery Invest manages the savings and investments of 13 000 clients, many of whom are saving for retirement.

Because of the product category we specialise in, and especially given the current economic climate, we have a obligation to act responsibly and prudently towards our customers.

South Africa’s healthcare professionals, and especially healthcare professionals in the private sector, are an important stakeholder group for Discovery Health. This group forms a crucial part of our healthcare sector, without which our customers would not have access to healthcare services.

It is well-known that healthcare in South Africa is under pressure to deliver healthcare to all its citizens, but that the country is unable to do so because of various factors.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of our healthcare sector, we must continue to engage with healthcare professionals and representative bodies to find solutions in the various areas of needs.

Discovery’s 5 249 employees play an important role in ensuring the company’s success. As a financial services company, we rely on our employees’ unique skills, innovative ideas, drive, commitment and loyalty to service our clients and ensuring the long-term viability of our company.

We have a responsibility towards our communities to help transform and develop them economically. This is critical for South Africa’s future.

Discovery operates in industries that are highly regulated and as one of the industry leaders, we have a responsibility to engage with regulators to address important industry questions.

Discovery relies on 1 103 suppliers to help us deliver on key objectives and strategies. Our relationship with our suppliers is therefore important to ensure our continuing financial success.

What we have done to engage with our stakeholders

Examples of outcomes of our engagement with stakeholder

Members

• Member surveys (member-based research)
• Outbound surveys and interviews
• User testing and focus groups
• Complaint and escalated complaint process.
• Discovery magazine

Employers

• Corporate Health Managers
• Regular CEO breakfasts with employer representatives
• Training sessions at year-end

• We do monthly telephonic surveys on how different business areas service our clients for example the Discovery Health walk-in centre, Health Professional Key Account Managers, Discovery Life, Vitality and DiscoveryCard call centre agents, New Business and Oncology. These surveys are done among members, healthcare professionals and financial advisers.
  
  
• We conducted user testing with customers to understand how members read and use our communication. Based on the results of these user testing sessions, we are making changes to specific communication material, for example our Discovery LIFE PLAN guide.

• Participation at conferences aimed at healthcare professionals.
• Regular meetings and engagement with associations representing healthcare professional groups, for example paediatricians, specialists and GPs.
• We hosted a Discovery Health Summit, an open forum where we discuss industry issues with leading role players.
• We engage with the Department of Health on various issues.

• We set up the Paediatric Governance Project, a joint initiative between the South African Paediatric Association (SAPA), the Paediatric Management Group (PMG) and Discovery Health to improve the quality of care and increase remuneration to paediatricians.
  
  
• Our engagement with GPs led to the Discovery Health GP Network – a network of GPs that our members can access to ensure direct payment to GPs.

• Specific once off surveys
• External engagement surveys
• Stay interviews
• Exit interviews
• Annual leadership conference
• Company-wide performance appraisals

• In March, the Ethics Institute of South Africa did a survey around ethics management and culture in Discovery. We expect the results at the end of 2009 and will report on the outcomes of the survey in next year’s report.

• Symbolic hand-over meetings with community projects supported by the Discovery Fund.
• Discovery Foundation Alumni conference.
• Electronic newsletter to Discovery Foundation recipients.

• Our symbolic hand-over meetings serve to strengthen our relationships with community partners and facilitates further feedback from them. This helps us to build long-lasting relationships with partners through which we can increase the impact we have in the community.
  
  
• Through the Discovery Foundation Alumni and conference, we are able to build awareness around the Foundation, in the medical community. This helps to increase the number of applications from candidates for funding from the foundation.

• Regular meetings with regulators for example the Council for Medical Schemes, Financial Services Board.
• Active participation in industry bodies and industry debates.

• Interaction with role players in the life insurance and long-term savings market has led to the establishment of the Association of Savings and Investments of South Africa (ASISA). Discovery is represented on the risk board of ASISA and is a full member of ASISA.
  
  
• While there is no active public forum on the proposed National Health Insurance system, Discovery is committed to engage with government and industry stakeholders.

Discovery Supplier Summit

• We introduced the new DTI national registry website to our suppliers. This new registry allows them to update their details and look for other business opportunities.
  
  
• We informed the suppliers of Discovery’s pproach
  to support enterprise development.
  
  
• One of our speakers discussed environmental sustainability, as well as how our service level agreements can help reduce our impact on the environment. One of our priorities for the new year is to review our service level agreements with our suppliers to include measures to reduce our impact on the environment.