Make the rules, but also break them to your advantage

I'll try and explain my harrowing experience as detailed as possible. 31 October 2021 - I gave my notice at my previous Employer 5 Jan 2022 - Forms were sent to Discovery to remove from my previous employer's policy (by the company & their financial advisor) 6 Jan 2022 - Received a letter from Discovery stating my membership will end 31 Jan 2022 17 Jan 2022 - I start my new job. My company wants me added on their policy through discovery beginning 1 Jan 2022 (backdated). Discovery informs my current employer that it can only start 1 Feb as I'm still on another policy for Jan 2022. 31 Jan 2022 - Receive a letter that my medical aid was terminated 31 Dec 2021 (not end of Jan as the previous letter). So the now my account is in arrears, apparently I haven't paid for January. The advisor at Discovery who made the revert to the older date said that my previous employer said they tried to contact me numerous times - to which I informed him they didn't contact me AT ALL. Discovery also did not inform my new employer about this change. 1 Feb 2022 AM - I pay R9000 cash to reinstate my medical aid so that if my toddler gets ill, we can take him to the hospital. 1 Feb 2022 PM - I confirm with my new employer that I am indeed on the company's discovery medical aid from 1 Feb 2022. 9 Feb 2022 - Double Check with my company about the medical aid, o no now I am an individual private payer. Again Discovery's Corporate Advisors has made a complete mess and undone everything that was correctly submitted from the start - no communication attempt was made to inform me.

1) What is the point of the call centre if all they can do is repeat the same sentence over and over instead of giving a valid solution? 2) Why are some companies held to the document submission deadlines and other's get free reign? 3) At the end of the day, it's the "little guy" (who pays the medical aid) that deals with the problems and Discovery just sit back and shrug - not our problem.

Really terrible service guys.