Medi-Clinic not transparent with fees

I've been to the Trauma unit of Mediclinic Bloemfontein recently. I received excellent medical care. But the service by the finance department was not transparent and not on par with other Private hospitals.

I was asked for my personal details. After this a Radiologist explained their fees and I promptly paid them before leaving the hospital.

The hospital passed along a survey to which I responded that I neither met a doctor and that the financial implications where not explained to me.

To this they responded by sending someone from Finance to provide me with an estimate. Upon leaving I approached this same staff member about the bill. My question was met by a blank stare and 2min of silence. From this I had to deduce that I was not going to get an invoice that day.

2days later an sms arrived with an amount and an account number.

5more days later the Doctor working in the ER suddenly sends me a bill out of the blue.

In every other private hospital I've visited as an out patient I have been supp**** with a full invoice before I left. This invoice included all the fees involved. This has been so weather I paid cash or by medical aid.

Why does Medi-Clinic trick it's patients and provide billing surprises? The doctors have offices in the Hospital and billing is provided by Mediclinic. Can the hospital not inform it's patients of how their billing work?

As a result of this poor experience on a billing level I will not go back to Medi-Clinic again. I would highly recommend against using this hospital unless you're medical aid is handling everything on your behalf. And even then - expect lot's of surprises.