Welcome to Life Behind the Numbers, a Discovery Life podcast series where we delve into the trends driving insurance claims and explore how this data can help us improve health outcomes. While many risks are beyond our control, there are steps we can take to mitigate them. By adopting proactive and healthier lifestyles, we can reduce the incidence of severe diseases and even mortality. 

In this episode, we explore the significant impact of health screenings on severe illness claims, particularly cancer. Maya is joined by Discovery Life Deputy Chief Executive Gareth Friedlander and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Maritha van der Walt who shed light on the correlation between screening and claims, highlighting the dramatic drop in screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent rise in late-stage cancer diagnoses. 

We also delve into the broader implications of these findings for life insurance and the substantial increase in payouts under Discovery Life's living benefits, such as severe illness, disability, and income protection, which in 2023 exceeded death benefit payouts. As a result, Discovery Life has responded by investing heavily in screening initiatives, leading to a notable increase in early-stage cancer diagnoses in 2023. 

For more information on preventative screening go to https://www.discovery.co.za/medical-aid/screening-and-prevention-cover