"Personal experience/heartbroken"

One of my siblings suddenly got sick and needed surgery. They were insured. At the last moment their insurer advised that cannot cover them. They paid for a whole year’s insurance and I believe the insurer was sitting quiet the whole year. When my sibling made a claim, the insurer said they are not covered as they are waiting for their student visa.

We saw one gynaecologist who advised an urgent surgery and sent us a bill of thousands of dollars and advised surgery will be done in Prince of Wales Private Hospital as public hospital surgeries are not done. We contacted the hospital, send them email with my sibling’s income and expenses and advised my sibling can’t afford it ATM and due to COVID they have less work.

We followed up so many calls for our emails – no-one was getting back. At last, after so many calls they send us a bill for tens of thousands of dollars for only one operation theatre without doc, pathology and any other fees. After sending so many requests, they increased the bill and advised they give us a discount. I have both emails saying the bill was less than ten thousand dollars.

My sibling is suffering like anything and not sure where to take it but in my opinion, the hospital attitude was heartbreaking.