Ex-gratia payments
Dear Medibank Private Limited,
[Member Number Hidden by Right to Know]
I request information in respect of ex-gratia payments that Medibank Private Limited make to hospitals in respect of non-implantable catheters, specifically:
Medibank Private correspondence to hospitals dated 31 August 2013 that it would no longer approve ex-gratia payments for cardiac disposables.
I would like a copy of the letter to St Vincents private Hospital around that date that it would no longer approve ex-gratia payments for cardiac disposables.
This was highlighted in the recent submission to the Senate
http://mtaa.org.au/docs/submissions/sena...
Yours faithfully,
Guy Baxendale
27/152-164 Bulwara Road Pyrmont NSW 2009
[email address]
0404544919
Dear Guy
Thank you for contacting Medibank Private.
We are unable to access your membership via this channel due to privacy
limitations and can therefore only provide very general information and
customer support.
To obtain the required information about your membership, please choose
one of the following options:
1. To register for our Online Member Services please [1]click here.
Online Member Services provides you with a secure email option for
specific membership enquiries. It also allows you to manage most aspects
of your membership online at a time convenient for you.
2. Call us on 132 331 (from overseas +61 3 8622 5780) to discuss your
membership.
3. Drop into one of our Medibank Stores. To locate your nearest Medibank
Store please [2]click here.
If you would like to obtain more information about our Privacy Statement
please [3]click here.
Yours sincerely
Maree Cash
Customer Service Officer
Medibank Private
T: 132 331 F: 1300 659 957 E: [4][email address]
W: [5]http://www.medibank.com.au/
[6]Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: cid:image001.png@01CC84CC.8810F7F0
The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only
for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient,
any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and
prohibited. If you have received this e-mail by mistake, please notify
Medibank Private as soon as possible by e-mail at
[7][Medibank request email], or by telephone on 132 331, and destroy the
original message. This information may be confidential or subject to legal
privilege. It is not the expressed view of Medibank Private or any of its
subsidiaries unless it is authorised by a person with actual authority. To
the fullest extent allowed by law, Medibank Private cannot accept
liability for any virus damage caused by this message. Medibank Private
Limited ABN 47 080 890 259.
Dear Ask Us,
I am not asking Medibank Private to access my personal Medibank Private account
I am asking an open question. I would like to know how much, if any, Medibank Private used to pay hospitals for non-implantable devices as (ex-gratia payments) Medibank Private sent a letter to hospitals on 31/08/2013 advising that they will no longer be paying for non implantable devices.
Yours sincerely,
GUY BAXENDALE
Dear Guy
Thank you for contacting Medibank Private.
We are unable to access your membership via this channel due to privacy
limitations and can therefore only provide very general information and
customer support.
We do not have any access to that type of information.
To obtain the required information about your membership, please choose
one of the following options:
1. To register for our Online Member Services please [1]click here.
Online Member Services provides you with a secure email option for
specific membership enquiries. It also allows you to manage most aspects
of your membership online at a time convenient for you.
2. Call us on 132 331 (from overseas +61 3 8622 5780) to discuss your
membership.
3. Drop into one of our Medibank Stores. To locate your nearest Medibank
Store please [2]click here.
If you would like to obtain more information about our Privacy Statement
please [3]click here.
Yours sincerely
Maree Cash
Customer Service Officer
Medibank Private
T: 132 331 F: 1300 659 957 E: [4][email address]
W: [5]http://www.medibank.com.au/
[6]Description: Description: Description: Description: Description:
Description: cid:image001.png@01CC84CC.8810F7F0
The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only
for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient,
any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and
prohibited. If you have received this e-mail by mistake, please notify
Medibank Private as soon as possible by e-mail at
[7][Medibank request email], or by telephone on 132 331, and destroy the
original message. This information may be confidential or subject to legal
privilege. It is not the expressed view of Medibank Private or any of its
subsidiaries unless it is authorised by a person with actual authority. To
the fullest extent allowed by law, Medibank Private cannot accept
liability for any virus damage caused by this message. Medibank Private
Limited ABN 47 080 890 259.
Locutus Sum left an annotation ()
I think that there has been double misunderstandings here. I imagine that Medibank Private thought that the applicant was requesting personal information because he wrote his membership number in the email. They will think, "Why does he give us his membership number if it is not for information about his membership?!". Also, there was not statement in the email that the request for documents was a request under the Freedom of Information Act. Yes, it was maybe in the subject line of the email but I am not so sure that this is enough.
Also, the internal review request will be refused. Why? Because the applicant has not received any FOI decision! The applicant misunderstood what he must ask for, and Medibank misunderstood the email. So with no FOI decision, an internal review is not possible. Also, the applicant has even now not said he is making a FOI request, only explaining that Medibank has misunderstood the first email.
Recommendation to Mr Baxendale ... write an immediate follow letter to Medibank. Say that you wish for them to undertand that the first email was a request under the FOI Act and that the Right to Know address is correct for communication to you. Say also that you know there is no FOI decision yet so the internal review request is withdrawn.