Had occasion to need a CT Scan this past week. Verified with my Medical Plan that two scans are allowed per year up to the full medical tariff and upon enquiry with the surgeon got the procedure code and authorisation code. So booked the can for 10h00 on Thursday at Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic
Got to the CT Scan/MRI reception and the middle-aged reception lady in a headscarf was laying it on thick with the customer at the head of the queue, telling her that her hospital plan was not worth the paper it was written on and she must make a R15000 co-payment to get an MRI done, etc. She kept interrupting the customer so many times that she burst into tears. At that I stepped forward and told her she was being unnecessarily rough and to take it easy. So then it was my turn. Without looking at the authorisation, she said I must pay R2300 straight away or "make a plan" When I suggested she look at the document I had printed, she said it wasn't her job to verify whether documents the public brought in were valid. I commented that she must have a nice job, to decide what she would or would not do during the day according to her whim. So I said unless she started being professional and sort me out and the lady before me, I would complain to the managing partner and the hospital administration, and the surgeon who just happens to be a good friend of mine.
At that she got up and told her assistant to sort it out and walked off. So I called the first customer over and went over it with the other counter assistant and it turned out that she had a legitimate authorisation code from MedScheme and could be attended to there and then, without any payment at all. She by then had phoned her husband and passed the phone to me. He thanked me for my intervention, but living in Sutherland could not do much from there
When I got home I called my surgeon friend who insists I put the complaint in writing as he said their service has been deteriorating for some time. You cannot make an appointment after 4.45 in the afternoon as they won't answer the phone. If you do happen to get through you get cut off
Got to the CT Scan/MRI reception and the middle-aged reception lady in a headscarf was laying it on thick with the customer at the head of the queue, telling her that her hospital plan was not worth the paper it was written on and she must make a R15000 co-payment to get an MRI done, etc. She kept interrupting the customer so many times that she burst into tears. At that I stepped forward and told her she was being unnecessarily rough and to take it easy. So then it was my turn. Without looking at the authorisation, she said I must pay R2300 straight away or "make a plan" When I suggested she look at the document I had printed, she said it wasn't her job to verify whether documents the public brought in were valid. I commented that she must have a nice job, to decide what she would or would not do during the day according to her whim. So I said unless she started being professional and sort me out and the lady before me, I would complain to the managing partner and the hospital administration, and the surgeon who just happens to be a good friend of mine.
At that she got up and told her assistant to sort it out and walked off. So I called the first customer over and went over it with the other counter assistant and it turned out that she had a legitimate authorisation code from MedScheme and could be attended to there and then, without any payment at all. She by then had phoned her husband and passed the phone to me. He thanked me for my intervention, but living in Sutherland could not do much from there
When I got home I called my surgeon friend who insists I put the complaint in writing as he said their service has been deteriorating for some time. You cannot make an appointment after 4.45 in the afternoon as they won't answer the phone. If you do happen to get through you get cut off
