One night when I was a young student at University, I got pissed and ended up playing Rugby in the snow with a few mates who were a bit bigger than me. This led to a fall, an awkward one, and a dislocated right shoulder. A shoddy recovery programme meant it gave me problems for a few years, and I missed many months of football as a result. So, by my mid-twenties it appeared that surgery was my only option if I wanted to continue playing competitive sports.
I did not like that idea, and as I was covered by BUPA at work I visited a local physio who specialised in shoulder rehabilitation, and thanks to her, I have not had any further significant trouble with that shoulder.
Fast forward seven years.
“Hello Mr Angry, this is BUPA member services, how can we help you.”
“Hello, yes, I have a shoulder injury and have been given the name of a Orthapaedic Surgeon from my GP, but I need your approval to book the appointment.”
“I see, can you tell me exactly what you have done?”
“Sure, I dislocated my left shoulder whilst on holiday last week, it was treated abroad, but I have seen my GP this morning in order to get some physio treatment now I am back in the UK.”
“Just one moment”
[Cue annoying on-hold music]
“Err, Mr Angry, there is a restriction on your policy regarding shoulder injuries. I am afraid you aren’t covered.”
“Oh, hang on, I had to declare some treatment to my right shoulder a few years ago, this is my left shoulder and completely unrelated.”
“OK, let me check.”
[Cue further annoying on-hold music]
“Mr Angry, I’m afraid the restriction doesn’t mention which shoulder it was, it just says shoulder treatment.”
“But it is a different shoulder? How can that be restricted? If someone stuck a fork in my right eye, would I be screwed if someone stuck one in my left eye the year after? Apart from me being blind and that.”
“It’s fine if it’s unrelated, but the record here just says ’shoulder injuries’.”
“Well, the treatment was done through yourselves, whilst I was at my previous employer, you have it all on your records, look it up.”
“It would be much easier, and quicker for you, to get your GP to fax us confirming what your previous injury was, and how it is unrelated to the current one.”
And so I spoke to my GP, who I had seen about an hour earlier, and created yet more paperwork for an already overworked service, just because BUPA are such a bunch of cost avoiding shysters. I sometimes forget they are an Insurance company, not a medical one. Claiming from them is not disimilar to making an auto-insurance claim. If they can avoid paying, they will.
Has anyone else had similar trouble getting treatment for a condition they had deemed pre-existing?
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AFC 30K · March 23, 2007 at 9:15 am
Oh yeah….
My wife had an acute stroke at the age of 26 – it took them 2 weeks to decide it wasn’t an existing condition – as for the neurologists they employ they are ALL total wankers.
I could go on but there’s little point, it’ll only make me angry……..
Mo · March 23, 2007 at 9:49 am
I work for the NHS, you may have had to wait a few weeks, sorry, ermm months, possibly years in fact but at least they’ll sort it for you!
Also if you had the Platinum cover I sure BUPA would have been more accommodating!
TJ · March 23, 2007 at 9:52 am
I fell over the dog whilst playing cricket in the back garden and landed on the makeshift wicket. As I’m a girl I’m a bit rubbish when it comes to boy sports so the wicket was made of bricks. I had to go to hospital and get my knee xrayed and turns out I chipped part of the bone and my knee was all inflamed so I had to be on crutches for a couple of weeks. 6 years later I was involved in a car crash and knackered my other knee but the insurance company tried to argue that they shouldn’t pay out because I had a history of dodgey knees!
However, we all lived happily ever after because the insurance company ended up paying out and essentially funded the deposit for my 1st house.
billyboy · March 23, 2007 at 9:59 am
Angry you have hit a nerve here for me.
These fuckers get me so LIVID.
Insurance companies are a bunch of thieving, lying, fucking, scum bags.
I got seriously injured rescuing some children from a house fire whilst working as a police office in London. I lost 50% of my respiratory capacity due to lung damage, broke almost every rib in the left side of my chest broke vertebrae at the top and bottom of my spine ruptured several discs, when the gas main blew up and the roof collapsed whilst I was still inside. I was lucky because 4 people got killed.
I am a big boy and knew what I was doing and knew what the risks were. I dont want sympathy I just want to be treated fairly. Nothing more nothing less but 12 years on and the fucking insurance companies are still fighting tooth and friggin nail not to pay me.
Even now they insist on a constant barrage of medical examinations, despite the fact that two of the the worlds leading specialist – paid by the insurance companies I hasten to add – have said I cannot get better only worse. Maybe they think I have had a miracle at Lourdes and forgotten to tell anyone.
I some times feel like meeting one of these cunts as they come out of work and giving them a taste of what its like to be a victim. There’s nothing like sucking steak through a straw for a month to make you think.
Not that I feel strongly about this, but they do get me so angry.
Breathe out and Relax.
Léonie · March 23, 2007 at 10:18 am
Well, I for one have learnt an important lesson here: Never play cricket with the dog. Thanks, TJ.
Peach · March 23, 2007 at 10:36 am
Yeah, TJ, that’s possibly the best euphemism I’ve heard in a while: I fell over the dog and landed on a makeshift wicket. Fab. Can I use that the next time I’m trying to explain some drunken sordid behaviour?
Admin comment by Mr Angry · March 23, 2007 at 11:58 am
AFC – That’s insurance companies for you.
Mo – It has only been sorted today. The accident was 9 days ago!!
TJ – I would settle for a similarly happy ending.
Léonie – That is a shame, what with your weekend of Dog Cricket planned and everything.
Peach – You might be onto something there I think…
BoyOnTop · March 23, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Back in school I once knew a guy who actually broke his arm while throwing a baseball. Is a true story, as I was there watching at the time. He went on to become a biker with a Harley, so hows that for emotional compensation…
Fat Jim · March 23, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Dog Cricket?
Phalic Stumps?
An insurance company paying someone?
Is everyone on acid?
FJ
enidd · March 23, 2007 at 12:43 pm
enidd once saw bupa about a problem with her body. when she went back again two years later, they asked if it was the same one they’d treated her for before.
Léonie · March 23, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Well, it’s good really, because I was having terrible trouble deciding whether to use the dog as the bat or the ball.
Dr J · March 23, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Heh, shysters is right. That’s the whole reason the ‘48 administration set up the NHS the ‘97 administration is trying so hard to destroy. One day all healthcare could be like this.
If you value your NHS / GP the time is coming to man the barricades before it is all taken away from you. Otherwise, perhaps it’s time to look at upgrading that BUPA cover Angry old chap.
That or give up on all potentially hazardous physical activity….
TJ · March 23, 2007 at 2:43 pm
I’ve just realised that my comment is up there with a bloke saying I accidently slipped and landed in the Dyson whilst doing the housework starkers.
No euphamism intended with my traumatic childhood sporting injury, the dog was an unwelcome addition to the cricket pitch (parents back garden). On the brightside at least I didn’t end up like Bob Woolmer.
Farty · March 23, 2007 at 7:44 pm
My insurance company’s got me over a barrel. Whatever claim I come up with, they just point to the section of the policy that says I’m not covered against fraud.
That’s the last time I get my insurance policy from a cheap Christmas cracker!
Copyright Spike Milligan 1962.
tideliar · March 24, 2007 at 11:57 pm
I’m with BillyBoy on this. Not for me, thank God, but a mate of mine. Broken knee, shoulder and back at work a dozen or so years ago and they finally, kinda, just sorta paid him off. Twelve fucking years! They are a shower of miserable thieving, mis-regulated, and dis-regulated cunts.
If I could, I’d kill the the whole fucking lot of them with fucking battery acid. But there you go. What the fuck are you gonna do. Any fucking excuse to withhold the money they owe you from the premiums you pay, all cos A) they’re thieving cunts, B) some cunts are on the fucking take and rip off a perfectly broken system, and 4) a shower of other soon-to-be-wearing-battery-acid-based-make-up thieving cunts are shareholders in the easiest fucking scam ever designed by man.
Anyway. It’s actually worse here in the States mate. Cunts.
skenz · March 27, 2007 at 4:50 am
Hey, at least you can get through to your insurance company! I’ve been trying to talk to my insurance company for two months, and I haven’t talked to anyone yet. My accident was in August, for Chrissakes!
Mark · March 31, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Hi, Just a random visitor.
Its the policy you had, if you’d paid for a fully covered policy (Medical History Disregarded) then you might have been covered.
Did you enjoy the new hold music?
CheshireCat · April 1, 2007 at 6:08 pm
I agree totally that BUPA are a bunch of lying bastards. My dad has been paying into BUPA via a comapny health scheme for over 30 years, and when he retired he continued to pay in. 3 weeks ago he lost the use of his legs suddenly. It was a case of 999 and into hospital (for the very first time in his life at the age of 72!). It took the NHS a week to give him an MRI scan, from which they diagnosed a narrowing of the spinal canal. Three days later they changed their minds and diagnosed tumours on his spine, probably secondary from prostate cancer! Not good. The NHS were excellent and gave him immediate Radiotherapy and hormone treatment. He then was told he would need some extensive physio to get back on his feet. At this point I called BUPA where a nice chap called Richard said it was covered and we just needed to speak to the consultant to get a referral. The consultant was on holiday and after speaking to a variety of people at BUPA (Alan Lacy x7891, Donna, Louise x4135 and finally Matt x7680 who were all very nice, all said dad was covered but they couldn’t do anything without a referral). After asking doctor after doctor I managed to get in contact with a consultant who phoned the BUPA Provider Services…..who then came back to me and told me that my Dad was not covered! He also said BUPA were going to call me to explain. That was Friday, and 2 days later, not contact from BUPA! WANKERS!!