It is not my desire for expat.cl to be a medium for criticism for criticism’s sake, but there is one company that has provoked so much frustration among my fellow expats that I feel obligated to warn newcomers to the country about it.
HELP is a company that provides medical services such as ambulance and doctor visits to your residence for a monthly fee, and for some services with an additional per-event fee. Subscriptions are per person. Expats often sign up for HELP because Chile lacks a universal, reliable public ambulance service.
Some complaints I hear about HELP have to do with the service itself, such as incorrect diagnoses, failure to acknowledge the need for a doctor visit or ambulance, and long waits for an ambulance. Just as often I hear complaints about administrative issues. It can be extremely difficult to terminate or modify a HELP contract.
If you do decide to sign up for service with HELP, make sure that you know the answers to the following questions. If not, pose them your salesperson.
- Puedo poner término al contrato en cualquier momento? Si no, cuándo? Cuál es el procedimiento para terminar el contrato?
- El costo mensual va a seguir igual hasta el final del contrato? Si no, por qué motivos podría subir? Cómo me van a avisar del aumento, y con cuánto tiempo de anticipación? Podré optar por poner término al contrato en vez de aceptar el aumento?
- Puedo cambiar la forma de pago en cualquier momento? Si no, cuándo?