Waiting and waiting on hold
As a child, I accompanied my mother to the doctor’s office. While in the waiting room, a man came in a with a chicken with its legs tied together. After the visit, I asked my mom why the man had the chicken. She replied that it was payment for the doctor. What my mother paid for her visit would buy only two full-sized candy bars today.
Recently, a family member had to have minor surgery which required an overnight stay in the hospital. The overnight room charge was paid in advance. After the discharge and with medical coverage, the bills arrived. Bills for services and the taking of tests and bills for the reviewing of tests.
Then the fun began. Phone calls to offer payment via a credit card encountered various options for languages, and various options to hopefully get to the accounts receivable department. Another option was to make the payments over the Internet. The Internet? Are medical records secure on the Internet? Banks and Social Security numbers are not.
The final option was to be put on hold. But wait, the hold time was prolonged. I was told to please leave my name, account number and phone number, and someone would phone me back.
And the phone call that had everyone’s attention? The winning of a free cruise to the Caribbean.
Yeah, sure!
Clarence M. Spicer
Canonsburg