Blog No.164 - HCF Explains Its Refusal to Pay lift Treatment Claims – Part 3: 1 February 2025

Sheena Jack’s letter was stupid and filled with lies.

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Margaret on July 7th, 2012.

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Sunset on July 7th 2012

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I Say Such Stupid Things!

In order for Lift to claim hospital level benefits for attending Lift for exercise classes, the doctors must certify that the GP consultation must be undertaken in hospital (as opposed to the exercise sessions). Lift's doctors have not certified this.

Translation ↓

In English movies, characters sometimes said “Bosh, Poppycock and Balderdash!” This means “Rubbish!”. **** Sheena is lying. **** Baldrick in Blackadder would have been bashed for saying something so idiotic.

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Our Complaints Policy

Handling of your complaint  While I have explained above that HCF has rejected Margaret's claims for hospital benefits on the basis that the claims have not complied with the relevant regulatory requirements, there is a separate issue relating to the handling of your complaints when making these claims and seeking information from HCF.

Translation ↓

The way in which HCF “handled” my complaints certainly ignored the official HCF Complaints Policy.  This was no accident.  We were treated like rubbish because HCF thought I would go away.  Margaret wife was dying, so of course, I would go away.  HCF probably thought it a pity Margaret did not quickly die to make me go away. **** HCF never intended to follow its complaints policy about the Lift claims.

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The “Investigation” of the Investigation (1)

HCF will undertake a thorough investigation into the way your complaints have been handled which will assist us to improve our complaints handling procedures and ensure that the correct information is consistently conveyed to our members.

Translation ↓

If HCF ever conducted a “thorough investigation” of my complaints, it has never told me the results.  No “investigation” was necessary.  Every aspect of the HCF behaviour followed the instructions of senior management – almost certainly including Sheena Jack. **** Former Premier of Queensland Joh Bjelke-Peterson said no inquiry should ever be happen unless the inquiry result was already known.  HCF already knew the result of its “investigation”.

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The “Investigation” of the Investigation (2)

HCF will investigate each of the allegations you have made in your letter, including in relation to the claims that are missing from HCF's claims history record for you and Margaret and your interactions with Ms Lindsay and Ms Harwood.

Translation ↓

The “missing” Lift claims are still absent from our HCF online official claims’ history. I still wait for Sheena to tell me what she discovered about Junita Lindsay and Rachael Harwood. Ms Lindsay has changed jobs.  I assume Ms Harwood still works for HCF.  I presume both did exactly what they were told to do by HCF management.

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Rewriting History (1)

While contact was maintained during the investigation of your complaint …

Translation ↓

Stupid; why claim “contact was maintained” with me when I have complained about total lack of “contact”?  An Outright Lie.

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Rewriting History (2)

HCF was advised by the Ombudsman on 2 February 2022, that you remained dissatisfied with the outcome and the complaint was escalated within the Ombudsman’s service for their investigation.

Translation ↓

I heard nothing from the Ombudsman until 28 January 2022 when I received a call from Sarah De Sade.  She told me no one had looked at my complaints while she was on extended leave.  She confirmed nothing was done by the Ombudsman and she was awaiting orders telling her what she should do.  I heard nothing about any Ombudsman’s “investigation” until April 2022. **** The “outcome” with which I was dissatisfied on 2 February 2022 was the “offer” made by HCF on 21 January 2022 to pay on an “ex gratia” basis, the gap fees we had paid to Lift - but only if we: Falsely said Lift Cancer Care Services did not tell us the estimated costs of its services; and only if Provided copies of our invoices for the gap fees we paid to Lift Cancer Care. If we did this, HCF would refuse to pay anything for any future Lift treatments. I rejected this by letter dated 24 January 2022.   I refused to lie and I refused to permit HCF to ignore the law.  Sheena Jack turned this into a claim HCF only knew I had rejected the HCF proposal when the Ombudsman told it this on 2 February 2022! Another outright lie. **** On 2 February 2022 Sarah De Sade emailed me saying the Ombudsman had “requested a formal response from …[HCF] in relation to” my complaints and when it received the HCF response, it would “carefully” consider it.  Sarah De Sade “respectfully ask[ed me] not [to] contact HCF about this specific complaint while [she was] investigating.” Neither HCF nor the Ombudsman had done any “investigating” of my complaints as at 2 February 2022 – 2 months after I complained.  This is what really happened. When the Ombudsman received my complaint on 3 December 2021, it did zero. HCF also did zero.  It had a “template” response to complaints like mine and it applied the template – do nothing. HCF made me the 21 January 2022 offer –which had been successfully used in the past. When I rejected the HCF offer, HCF probably told the Ombudsman on 2 February 2022. After being told I had rejected the HCF offer, the Ombudsman requested an HCF “investigation”. This Ombudsman investigation request was what the Ombudsman called “escalation” of my complaint. The Ombudsman did nothing while HCF conducted its “investigation”.

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The Ombudsman Made Us Do It!

As part of that escalation, the Ombudsman requested that HCF did not correspond with you about this matter while they conducted their investigations, our apologies for any frustration this may have caused.

Translation ↓

Sheena Jacks tries to create the impression that the failure to communicate with me was the result of a request by the Ombudsman. Rubbish; HCF continued its policy of ignoring me – hoping Margaret’s health would deteriorate and I would go away. **** Sheena Jack knew the Ombudsman could not conduct any investigation until given permission by HCF.  No “investigations” were conducted by the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman had zero interest.

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Hopefully You Will Now Go Away

I trust this letter clarifies HCF's position on the claims made by Lift, HCF will continue to engage with the Department of Health on the payment of hospital benefits for Type C procedures.

Translation ↓

Hopefully this bulls** has you baffled!  Go away!

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Bugger Off

In closing I would like to apologise again if HCF failed to provide clarity in its communications on this issue and the time and energy you and Margaret have spent seeking answers. Yours faithfully, Sheena Jack CEO & Managing Director Copy to: Mr Mark Johnson, HCF Chairman

Translation ↓

Bugger off and don’t come back!  We refuse to pay for services provided by Lift. The law is irrelevant. We have the backing of the Department of Health and the Ombudsman.