The caller who got a bit more than she bargained on
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382021)
Rockingham, Australia
March 14, 2023 10:43pm CST
The photo of a vintage car at the Whiteman Park Motor Museum, Western Australia, has nothing to do with the post.
My husband, from time to time, needs regular chiropractic treatment. He goes to a teaching practice where the therapists are in their last year of training but are fully supervised by their instructors.
Previously, the accounts had been paid by our health insurance fund but payment for the last set of treatments was refused on the grounds that it was teaching hospital.
After getting no satisfaction from a phone call, Vince wrote an email which was ignored. He wrote another which was also ignored. Then, as luck would have it, someone rang from the fund: a courtesy call, totally unrelated, hoping we were going okay and wanting to sure we were happy with their service.
I bet she was sorry she made that call! Anyway, Vince was able to air his grievances and eventually spoke to someone higher up. They still won’t pay the accounts but sent us a $100 gift voucher as a gesture of goodwill.
14 people like this
12 responses
@DaddyEvil (174405)
• United States
15 Mar 23
It's always nice to get those random courtesy calls from insurance providers. $100 is better than nothing, which is all you were going to get before.
I got a courtesy call from our insurance provider last week asking if we were happy with the services we've been receiving... (The specific call was to question how happy I was about their pick-up and return service to and from our health care providers.) I told the lady I wasn't happy at having to spend an entire day from pick-up until we could return home. I explained I only needed the service when I couldn't see due to health problems... She was confused and told me that the service should pick me up and take me straight to my health care provider and then, after my appointment, take me straight home. I told her the service actually picks up as many people as will fit in their vehicle, drops each one of us at our health care provider before our appointment and then picks us back up when the last person's appointment is concluded and returns the vehicle load of people home again... Apparently, that isn't the way the service is supposed to be done... She apologized and said she'd report that to her supervisor... I haven't heard anything back from them but I refused to use the service a few days ago. I don't want to be stuck somewhere all day again if the service isn't changed...
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174405)
• United States
15 Mar 23
@Fleura The lady I talked with said they are paid $25 to take me back and forth to my doctor appointment. I understand why they want to do that but if that's not what they're supposed to do then why allow it? ($25 is what they pay me to make the drive myself.)
1 person likes this
@Fleura (35004)
• United Kingdom
15 Mar 23
@DaddyEvil Perhaps they didn't know - we'll see if anything changes!
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (222302)
• United States
12 Apr 23
I can understand why they won't pay if the teaching hospital is not within the network; but it's still a shame. The $100 is a mere pittance to them.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382021)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Apr 23
@LindaOHio That's for absolute sure.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222302)
• United States
13 Apr 23
@JudyEv True. But insurance companies don't do what makes sense!
1 person likes this
@Beestring (15372)
• Hong Kong
15 Mar 23
The $100 gift voucher was a one-time deal. Can you go to another hospital for treatment in the future?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382021)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 23
@Beestring And being able to trust such a person is worth quite a bit.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (15372)
• Hong Kong
15 Mar 23
@JudyEv I see. The most important consideration is Vince trusts the therapists there.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153530)
• India
16 Mar 23
Wow! That was least expected I am sure Happy for you
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
15 Mar 23
Good news ! Even though they didn't pay the accounts,but things worked out fine ,even better than you expected.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
15 Mar 23
lol that is kind of funny..yes bet she wont want to call anyone again.
Well to hell with them Judy...that is wrong.
I am glad they sent you that gift though..but they should pay up.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
15 Mar 23
@JudyEv Yes of course, oh I know he did not harm her by yelling or anything haha
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382021)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Mar 23
The poor girl would have thought it would be a routine friendly call but she got Vince!! 
But he wasn't rude to her - just assertive. He was annoyed that he'd been unable to get in touch with anyone and he'd been trying for several days.
But he wasn't rude to her - just assertive. He was annoyed that he'd been unable to get in touch with anyone and he'd been trying for several days.1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135722)
• Marion, Ohio
15 Mar 23
At least you got something in return. Sorry they won't pay
@porwest (112874)
• United States
15 Mar 23
Is this one of those, "Funny you called" situations? lol. Yes. I am sure they did not expect the response they got. Wish you could have resolved the issue. To me the gift voucher would have been accepted but not enough to solve my problem.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382021)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Mar 23
As it turns out, we're not really any worse off. Because it's a training practice, the fees are less and, at another practice, we would have had to pay the gap between the full fee and whatever the rebate was. I think we might even come out in front.
1 person likes this
