lancet is regressing

lancet is the only company i see who's regressing in life. all these years I've been to lancet they could tell me upfront what my medical aid will cover or not and what i had to pay for first to get the bloods done. last year first time i get an sms claiming i owe them as discovery does not cover one of the tests. my GP was so sure its covered which is why she sent me but anyways after much fighting since it was a small amount i gave up.

this time i went with 2 forms, a cash and discovery form, but the consultant advice's i should just put them all under discovery and whatever they don't pay i can pay, i agree as the amount i can see on the from is R350. the consultant does not bother to tell me the amount that will be claimed will be different. in my head I'm thinking its R350 and maybe discovery will pay little and i can pay the rest. i get a statement from lancet that the amount claimed was R952 and i owe them R679 which discovery did not pay for.

firstly, that's a ****** *******. if lancet will claim triple the amount they should not tell people to put it through medical aid. oh wait, that's their business strategy to make more money. because where i would have been liable for R350 now for the exact same tests i need to pay R679 that to after my medical aid paid R273.

lancet keeps calling me and i give them the same story, i am willing to pay the cash price of all the tests my medical aid does not cover. but i will not pay a ridiculous amount for the same tests just cz they claimed from discovery and discovery doesn't pay. in essence the cost is actually the cash price, but as its sent to discovery they claim triple. so I'm not going to deny payment as the services were rendered , but ill pay the cash price.

i went to ampath lab and the consultant said they cannot tell which bloods will be covered as their system is old but lancet can cz they have newer systems, so i don't see what lancet is upto. at ampath the lady actually printed an invoice showing me the exact amount that they will claim from discovery and if discovery doesn't pay this is what I'm liable for and once i agreed did she go ahead.

up ur game lancet. i don't see how your consultants cannot do the same. its a shame