Unacceptable Service from Affinity

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the service I received from Affinity on 06 March 2025. As a paying customer, I expect reliable and efficient assistance, especially when seeking medical care. However, the experience I endured was nothing short of frustrating and unacceptable.

After work, I visited a doctor due to flu symptoms. Before my consultation, I attempted to contact Affinity for authorization using the number ***, which is printed on my membership card and is the only number I was aware of. To my shock, I discovered that this number is only operational between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM—which is completely impractical for after-hours medical emergencies.

Following the instructions on my card, I sent a call-back request to *** for after-hours support. When I finally got called at 6:10 PM, the representative informed me that she could not assist me as she was on the hospital side. Instead, I was referred to another individual, who later called me. At that the doctor’s surgery had already closed even though i got there early but i couldn't go in without authorization. After assessing my symptoms over the phone, he decided to prescribe medication instead of authorizing a doctor visit.

Upon receiving this instruction, I drove to the pharmacy to collect my prescribed medication, only to be informed that Affinity had not processed the payment. The pharmacy assistant attempted to contact Affinity using the same number I had (***), but it was unreachable.

I then sent multiple call-back requests to the after-hours number, but received no response. Desperate for assistance, I searched online for alternative contact numbers and found ***. After finally getting through, I was placed on hold until my airtime ran out. I purchased more airtime, called again, and waited an unreasonable amount of time before finally speaking to a representative—only to be informed that authorization could not be granted due to system issues.

At this point, I had wasted:

16 km of fuel, Several hours of my time, My airtime, And most importantly, I was left without the necessary medical care I urgently needed. Adding to my frustration, I was told that the only solution was to purchase the medication myself and call back the next day for reimbur*****t. This means that after all my efforts, time, and expenses, I was left with absolutely nothing but an apology and instructions to spend even more money just to access the healthcare I am paying for every single month. What is it that I'm paying for????