Apollo Neighborhood Health Plan - Seems Scam
1) 21 Aug 2010 - **Called Apollo Ambulance around 8AM, informing to pick the patient in after-noon for scheduled doctor appointment. Called in around 3pm, then 4pm and 5pm when they are sending the ambulance. At 6pm they informed me that all roads are full with traffic and hence ambulance will not be sent.
Talked to MS office as well but in vein. Finally I could not keep my appointment and had to reschedule.
2) 23 Aug 2010 - Same scenario repeated on 23rd also. At 6pm they informed me that since I am NHP (Neighborhood health plan), ambulance is not complimentary for Out-Patient. You may still avail it for admissions. Talked to the marketing person responsible for issuing NHP, she also repeated the same thing.Finally I called in ambulance from another hospital and then consulted Doctor at Apollo.
3) 2 Sep 2010 - My mom got advised for admission. So I called in four days in advance asking for admission. Called in a day before for reconfirmation and they informed that I should check 8am on the day of admission. Called at 8am and also booked ambulance, they informed to call at 10, at 10am they requested to call at 12, at 12 they asked to call at 2pm, at 2pm they confirmed the bed but it was still occupied at 3:30 Apollo called and informed that since bed is not yet free, ambulance cannot be sent.
I called up ambulance at 4 when bed was free and then they informed that since NHP members can only avail
ambulance in emergency situations. If your patient requires oxygen, that’s not emergency and you cannot avail ambulance for same.
The bottom line is that they wasted my three days only to avoid their ambulance charges. Their NHP card applications has this statement - "Free Ambulance services to enrolled members at registered address". Now they are trying mischievous ways to avoid giving this stated service to NHP members
Similar incidents happened at the billing times on previous occassions. NHP apps form states that - "20% discount for senior citizens on investigations" they denied me this by saying that it is only for out-patients and also it is not applicable on dr consultancy/procedures/surgeries.
Calls to MS office were atteneded to properly but nothing concrete came up. Somebody in marketing did not even know the phone# of MS or Dr Venkat(Sr Manager MS office) or Mr Bahl(HR) or who they were.
So far Apollo is yet send communication correcting their terms of NHP. God know if they know courtesy like apologies for miscommunicating wrong information in their brochures.