Hospital Bills

LegacyUser

I recently messed up my leg and had to go to hospital. Stupidly I have no insurance or medical card. Now I have to get an mri scan and am in a cast for another two weeks(more time out of work) and i'm worried about the cost.

Anyone know if there is anywhere that finances this stuff or do I have to let them bring me to court and then tell them I can only afford so much per week??

Thanks for the advice!

Grawns

As long as you go public in a public hospital I don't think you have to pay anything beyond the initial emergency room fee. You could be waiting though which is where private health insurance kicks in.

dobsdave

Grawns wrote: »

As long as you go public in a public hospital I don't think you have to pay anything beyond the initial emergency room fee. You could be waiting though which is where private health insurance kicks in.

I dont think thats correct.
If you dont have insurance(or medical card), you pay for any proceedure.
I remember my wife getting a bill for an xray, and were on VHI.
MRI scans are expenseive as far as I know

beth-lou

As far as I'm aware, once you are paying prsi and go public most things will be covered. You normally pay admission charges etc. Keep all receipts and you can claim back (depending on your tax bracket )any costs over €300.

beth-lou

dobsdave wrote: »

I dont think thats correct.
If you dont have insurance(or medical card), you pay for any proceedure.
I remember my wife getting a bill for an xray, and were on VHI.
MRI scans are expenseive as far as I know

The hospitals stopped accepting VHI in lieu of fees because VHI were taking so long to pay them. So now you pay up front and claim back from VHI at the end of the year. I could be wrong, but thats what I heard. Maybe ring VHI. They only cover costs after a certain amount. Not sure what that is though, again maybe ring them. You could be due money back.

LegacyUser

Thanks for the feedback

I dont really pay much prsi, only about €20 a week. I dont mind paying everything once I can do it over time, was really just wondering if there was such a system!

bored and tired

i have taken this exert from citisens information site, info was from jan 08, so not sure if budget has affected amounts, i have highlighted the info i think the op was interested in. The details are for public patients only,

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/hospital-services/hospital_charges

Charges for out-patients/accident and emergency/casualty services in public hospitalsIf you go to the out-patients, accident and emergency or casualty department of a public hospital without being referred there by your family doctor (GP), you may be charged €66 euro (1 January 2008). There is no charge if you are referred by a GP.

In cases of excessive hardship, the HSE may provide the service free of charge.

If you have to return for further visits to an out-patient clinic in relation to the same illness or accident, you should not have to pay the charge again.

You can be referred by your family doctor to the out-patients department of a public hospital for specialist assessment by a consultant or his or her team or for diagnostic assessments (i.e., x-rays, laboratory tests, physiotherapy, etc.). If you attend this service as a public patient, you will not have to pay for this service. If you wish to attend a consultant in a private capacity, you will be required to pay the appropriate fee.

In-patient charges in public hospitals
If you are in a public ward under the care of a consultant for treatment and you remain overnight, you are receiving in-patient services.

The charge for in-patient/day services is €66 euro per day up to a maximum of €660 euro in a year (1 January 2008).

I think that means that for any joe soap, you pay €66 for A&E, €66 per night you stay in hospital up to a maximum in any year of €660, ie 10nights, and any scans, xrays and the like related to that admission, or out patient appointments and tests are free. That should include MRI's as well.

hope that makes you feel a bit easier and helps your recovery, make sure you apply for illness benefit while you are out of work, and ask SW officer about any other supports that are available to you for the few weeks that you are in need,

luckat

BrokeSquared, one bit of help is that you can claim back "unreimbursed medical expenses" on your taxes at the end of the year. Download the MED1 form from the Revenue.ie site.

I'm not sure about this - others will be better versed in the minutiae and will correct this, but I think you can claim for up to 10 years back. Used to be so, anyway. Start a Medical file and keep the receipts. This also covers your doctors' fees and prescription medicines.

It's not a lot of comfort right now, but it'll be a nice little payback later. I'm not sure if you get 100% back or if you get it according to your top tax rate.

dudara

luckat wrote: »

It's not a lot of comfort right now, but it'll be a nice little payback later. I'm not sure if you get 100% back or if you get it according to your top tax rate.

It changed in the budget. Valid medical expenses will now be reimbursed at the standard rate of tax (20%) - not sure when this comes into effect though.

JB04

dudara wrote: »

It changed in the budget. Valid medical expenses will now be reimbursed at the standard rate of tax (20%) - not sure when this comes into effect though.

I think it comes in for expenses incurred in 2009.

dotsman

OP, I broke my arm a few years ago. Went to St Vincent's, Dublin (Public) because it was just down the road from me. Over the following few weeks, I had various check-ups and about 3 or 4 x-rays and some physio. On my last visit, when I went to pay/give them my VHI details, they just looked at me strangely and said that it's all free after the initial A&E charge.

eimsRV

Brokesquared

I think you should speak to the hospital accounts dept. Or you could wait until you receive a bill and then call them. If there are a few bills for you to pay then I'm sure they would prefer to arrange a payment schedule with you now rather then having to get solicitors involved at a later stage.

Eims

G86

Hi

I've had an MRI done and had a few out patient apts recently which I've never had to pay for as it falls under public healthcare. You definitely don't pay for the MRI unless you've gone private.

And if you do have to pay for something, you get a few letters in a few different colours to remind you before they start getting annoyed , so don't be worrying about it.

Hope that helps.