Employer Private Health - £350 for 10 minutes

mschris

Hey all,

Can someone please help me with this I don't know what to do. I had Vitality - private medical - through my employer

I basically attended an appointment / consultation with a Doctor AFTER I left my job. This appointment was 10 minutes however as a result I'm being invoiced £350.

I'll explain as a timeline as I think it's clearer:

November - first time using private medical, I called the claim line, I explained my health issue and the claim authorised, appointment booked for 14th January (i assumed it was paid for then)

December - handed in notice
late December - left company

January - attended appointment

Now, I thought that since the claim was approved and booked that everything was sorted. However the problem is that they're saying as I left my job I have no cover. It's not paid / authorised the date I call, it's done on the actual date I attend.

My entire problem why does Vitality have no responsibility to tell me? why would I get not get an e-mail when I leave. Why would it not be cancelled? Like how is this possible? How is this down to me?

I know,everyone is going to say read the small print. I read SO much of it, I spent like a good 3 days commuting reading all this documentation so I could understand was covered and wasn't. However I don't remember reading any of this.

What can I do?

silvercar

Employee benefits end when you are no longer an employee.

Any chance you were on leave/ gardening leave?

They didn't give you this information because it was you that gave notice to them.

silvercar

One thing to try is phone up the consultants secretary and explain you are now self funding. You may find the cost to self funding patients is lower.

Caz3121

from the Vitality site
WHAT HAPPENS IF I LEAVE THE COMPANY?
Your cover ends on your leaving date which means we won’t pay for any more treatment you have after that date even if you’re in
the middle of treatment at the time or we’ve authorised that treatment in advance. Depending on your age and how long you’ve been covered under your company scheme, you may be eligible to continue your cover with us on an individual plan with the same personal underwriting terms.

https://www.vitality.co.uk/health-insurance/leaving-a-company/

csgohan4

always important to read T+C even if it is a free service....

mschris

always important to read T+C

I understand this...I read so much of it, obviously I didn't understand / read / remember that section. I wouldn't have willing chosen to spend £353 like this.

They didn't give you this information because it was you that gave notice to them.

No my employer did nothing like this...it was quite bad they didn't really explain much to me.

We had a Vitality person come in but they just talked-up how amazing it was to us. Which is a totally different conversation when actually speak to other staff and they tell you all the pitfalls and "gotchas" and things that aren't covered.

Is there anything I can do?

My whole POV is this shouldn't be possible? Eg. I should have had the appointment cancelled, or I should have to had to sign something to agree to pay. Or I should have got an e-mail as soon as I handed in my notice, or an email / text / letter as soon as I left.

It shouldn't be setup like this - it doesn't protect me as a customer.

You might disagree - read the T&Cs - this is great, but doesn't help at all. It's also about treating customers fairly.

I obviously had no idea it would cost this for a 9 minute chat otherwise I wouldn't have gone.....I might have then been charged for a missed appointment.

Can anyone think of an out-of-the-box solution? Would my employer be partially liable? Can I fight this legally? Can I come at this from a different angle?

choccielover

I don!!!8217;t think you have any come back really.

You chose to see a doctor and booked a private appointment. Your cover would have paid for this but won!!!8217;t as you were no longer in the employment that gave you this benefit.

Why is the onus on the employer to tell you what you!!!8217;ve given up on leaving the company rather than you assuming that an appointment you had after leaving the company would still be covered.

silvercar

My whole POV is this shouldn't be possible? Eg. I should have had the appointment cancelled, or I should have to had to sign something to agree to pay. Or I should have got an e-mail as soon as I handed in my notice, or an email / text / letter as soon as I left.

I suspect you signed something when you booked in to the appointment agreeing to pay for anything that wasn't covered.

Any chance you could now take vitality insurance out for yourself and they would link coverage so it would be one continuous cover from when you left?

mschris

Why is the onus on the employer to tell you what you've given up on leaving the company rather than you assuming that an appointment you had after leaving the company would still be covered.

Why? When I booked the appointment the e-mails and wording were all along the lines of "this claim has been authorised, there is nothing you need to do, please attend the appointment on this date."

I believe they have partial responsibly around 30% only as good practice and in the interest of stopping something like this happening. Apart from the - for-profit - company who does this situation benefit?

Why would the employer not have some responsibility to make this clear to an employee?

Hypothetically, say the situation was more drastic - someone was in the middle of cancer treatment and they decided to hand in their notice as they couldn't deal with work.
Would you expect them to tell an employee then?
Would you expect Vitality to step in and tell me?
Or would you expect someone - in the middle of that type of treatment - to be charged £1000s?

I suspect you signed something when you booked in to the appointment agreeing to pay for anything that wasn't covered.

Not like a new document, when I joined the company and signed a form to have health insurance, it was this signature that agrees to this.

Any chance you could now take vitality insurance out for yourself and they would link coverage so it would be one continuous cover from when you left?

Hmm I doubt it, it would probably have to be before, I doubt it would work retrospectively.

dunstonh

Why would the employer not have some responsibility to make this clear to an employee?

You stated in your first post that you had the appointment AFTER you ceased to be an employee. After you were no longer covered by the insurance.

Hypothetically, say the situation was more drastic - someone was in the middle of cancer treatment and they decided to hand in their notice as they couldn't deal with work.
Would you expect them to tell an employee then?
Would you expect Vitality to step in and tell me?
Or would you expect someone - in the middle of that type of treatment - to be charged £1000s?

You would think they would have the common sense to know that an employer benefit is going to end when employment does. However, the terms usually stated in the welcome pack for you to read when these sorts of things happen.

If you choose not to read the documents, then it doesnt really matter whether they tell you or not. You havent read them so you wouldnt know.

mschris

If you choose not to read the documents, then it doesnt really matter whether they tell you or not. You havent read them so you wouldnt know.

I didn't choose not to read the docs.
I read them it just wasn't clear to me....there wasn't a section that said:

"if you have a claim authorised 2 months before you hand in your notice and the appointment happens to be booked after you leave. Then the date you attend the appointment will be the date that is charged not the date you called to authorise the claim. Also, a initial consultation is classified as a treatment, and you will have no idea of the cost."

It never said that ^

Does everyone believe this is fair then? Just? Ok? 100% my fault?