Horrible service

<p>I am utterly disgusted by my Discovery medical aid at the moment!</p> <p>As a Discovery Key Care Plus member you are required to select a GP from the Discovery list of network providers. You can also select a secondary provider, in case your primary provider is not available. If you visit another GP (whether on their list of providers or not) you are responsible for payment.</p> <p>On 22 March I phoned to make an appointment with my secondary provider but his number gave the "this number is no longer in use" message. I phoned the Discovery call centre (reference ********** 504) and the agent informed me that the doctor's number I dialed was listed as corrected. I then phoned the shopping centre where the doctor was located, but was told that the doctor had moved his practice elsewhere. I phoned Discovery back (reference ********** 194) but there was no knowledge of this on their system.</p> <p>On April 10 my daughter got sick and I wanted to make her an appointment but as my primary provider was fully booked that afternoon, I tried to phone my secondary provider again but received the same automated message. I phoned Discovery (reference ********** 552) immediately after and they provided me with a new landline number, but unfortunately that number gave the me same "this number is no longer in use" message.</p> <p>On 12 April I phoned Discovery once again (reference ********** 910) and was told that they would finally investigate internally, but that I should use one of my four covered out-of-network yearly visits in the mean time. I then selected another GP from the Discovery network provider list and went there straight away where my daughter was diagnosed with a serious upper respiratory infection. Besides the fact that I had to make a co-payment and pay for all the medication out of pocket, the receptionist informed me that my elected secondary provider was no longer a Key Care network provider as he had moved to MediCross.</p> <p>I was shocked at the news because I had been pursuing the matter since 22 March and at no point had I received a notification informing me of my significant policy change. I phoned the Discovery call centre once more (reference ********** 910) and spoke to a rather rude and sarcastic lady named Charldene. She firmly insisted that it was in no way Discovery's responsibility to ensure that the doctor's on their list are actual verifiably available doctors, but rather the doctors responsibility to update their status.</p> <p>I then asked Charldene that at the very least, my secondary provider be updated to the network doctor I had visited that day, as he requested to see my daughter again the following day due to the seriousness of her infection. She kindly responded that she could gladly make the change but that it would only take effect on 1 May.</p> <p>The next day on 13 April I returned to the doctor for a check-up with my daughter and again paid out of pocket, even though I have full medical coverage and couldn't see my elected network provider listed on the Discovery website, as the list had not been updated, and their rules didn't allow me to change my provider until the first of the next month.</p> <p>Whether this is right or wrong, the fact remains that Discovery (the entity that appears on my monthly bank statement) is the middleman between myself and any medical visit or procedure. I look to them for providers or authorization, and expect them to provide a professional service to me as their client.</p> <p>As I am writing this message on 17 April, Dr. Koen is still listed as my secondary provider with no word from Discovery of the policy change. At the very least I expected Discovery to allow me to change my secondary provider to an existing doctor who is currently practicing on the Discovery Key Care network before the first of next month. In my opinion it would also only be fair for them to reimburse me for charges ensued due to negligence on their behalf. But above all, an apology for their utterly pathetic service to me, their paying client, would be appreciated.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>