Medical Insurance Mayhem: One Woman’s Struggle for Information

Abstract

A customer makes an appointment to see her local general practitioner (medical doctor, GP) regarding the likelihood of a hereditary illness. As part of this process, the customer is required to return the following day for a blood test, and on the third occasion for a scan. After not hearing back from anyone regarding the results of the blood test, the customer is spoken to rudely by a nurse when she attempts to find out the results days later.The customer is then advised by the practice carrying out the scan that the full cost will be covered from her health insurance policy, only to find out after the scan takes place that it is not. How should the practice have handle this situation in terms of the information provided to the customer? And, how will the experience with the practice staff affect the relationship the customer has with her local health provider?

Citation

Bish, R. and De Villiers, R. (2017), "Medical Insurance Mayhem: One Woman’s Struggle for Information", Trade Tales: Decoding Customers' Stories (Advances in Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 14), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 63-70. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1871-317320170000014011