LA Health Medical Scheme
Restricted scheme · For local government employees · 6 plan options · Administered by Discovery Health
Overview
LA Health Medical Scheme is a registered non-profit restricted medical scheme regulated by the Council for Medical Schemes. The Scheme is accredited by the South African Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) to provide medical scheme cover to persons working in Local Government and affiliated organisations. Administered by Discovery Health.
Source: LA Health portal; LA Health Plan Comparison 2024/26.
Membership Profile
LA Health covers employees of local government and affiliated organisations and their qualifying dependants. Member counts published annually by the Scheme.
Financial Health
LA Health reports a solvency ratio above the 25% statutory minimum. Specific solvency figures are published in the annual AFS.
Plans & Options
LA Health offers 6 benefit options for 2026: LA Comprehensive, LA Core, LA Engage, LA Active, LA Focus, and LA KeyPlus.
| Plan | Category |
|---|---|
| LA Comprehensive | Top-tier comprehensive |
| LA Core | Hospital + chronic |
| LA Engage | Network + savings |
| LA Active | Hospital + day-to-day |
| LA Focus | Network + hospital |
| LA KeyPlus | Entry-level network |
Source: LA Health Plan Comparison.
Key Benefits & Differentiators
Discovery infrastructure with restricted-scheme pricing. Members access Discovery's operational scale (claims, hospital networks, telehealth) at restricted-scheme pricing tied to local-government conditions of service.
Vitality wellness access. Through the Discovery partnership, members can access the Vitality programme as a separately priced opt-in.
All plans cover the 27 PMB Chronic Disease List conditions.
Wellness & Loyalty
LA Health members can access Discovery Vitality on an opt-in basis. New members joining after 1 January 2024 have access to applicable benefits from joining date through the end of the next year.
Claims & Service
Claims processed via Discovery Health systems — Discovery app, online portal, email, and provider direct-billing.
How the Scheme Is Set Up
LA Health is structurally suited only to employees of participating local government bodies and their dependants. Within that population, plan choice tracks income band and family configuration.
Eligibility & Continuation
Who can join: Employees of local government and affiliated organisations accredited under SALGBC, plus their qualifying dependants.
What happens when you leave local government: Continuation member rules apply for retirees. Non-retiring leavers generally need to transfer to another scheme.
Dependants: Remain on LA Health while the principal member is enrolled.