A&E Road Traffic Accident Charge

jenniferalan

I was recently involved in a car accident and was charged for
285 in first bill, 100 for A&E and 185 for A&E RTA.
Second bill was 700 for the length of stay at hospital.

I presumed that the A&E RTA was the charge for ambulance but it is an additional charge that car crash patients have to pay. Had anyone any knowledge on this? I think it's ridiculous that I have to pay an extra 185 for being seen to, the injury I suffered from could also occur through a bad fall

Ken.

If you were injured by someone else you claim off them including hospital/doctors bills. If you caused the accident then you claim off your own insurance.

slimjimmc

The €100 is the standard HSE charge for being admitted to A&E without a referral from a GP.

The €185 is probably for having an ambulance and crew go out, collect you, treat you at the scene and on the way to A&E. Everyone who is not exempted may be billed for ambulance services regardless of whether their emergency call-out was for a car accident, heart attack, broken leg, fainted, stubbed their toe, etc.

irishgeo

i thought the 100 A+E charge didnt apply to people brought in via ambulance.

if your admitted to the hospital from A+E the €100 should not apply to you.

This is pasted from http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/Older_People_Services/Benefits_and_Entitlements/Hospital_charges.html#out

Charges for accident and emergency/casualty services in public hospitals
If you go to the accident and emergency or casualty department of a public hospital without being referred there by your family doctor (GP), you may be charged €100 (since 1 January 2009).

There is no charge if you are referred by a GP.

The charge of €100 also does not apply to the following groups:

Medical card holders
People who are admitted to hospital as a result of attending the casualty department (you will then be subject to in-patient charges)
People receiving treatment for prescribed infectious diseases
Children up to 6 weeks of age, children suffering from prescribed diseases and disabilities and children referred for treatment from child health clinics and school health examinations
People who are entitled to hospital services because of EU Regulations
Women receiving maternity services.
The charge applies to the first visit in relation to an illness or accident 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 must pay their fee.

Guy:Incognito

irishgeo wrote: »

i thought the 100 A+E charge didnt apply to people brought in via ambulance.

Is this not a common misconception that's had people ringing ambulances for everything in the hope of not getting charged?

jenniferalan

I am claiming through my insurance which will only cover 250.00

The 185 is a levy that was brought in to apparently all road traffic accident victims only thing i could find online is on St james hospital website see http://www.stjames.ie/Patients/PatientCharges/
Although it was a hospital in Galway I attended. The bill is not an ambulance bill as I first thought

jenniferalan

Does this apply for people of all ages or just for Older People

irishgeo wrote: »

i thought the 100 A+E charge didnt apply to people brought in via ambulance.

if your admitted to the hospital from A+E the €100 should not apply to you.

This is pasted from http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/Older_People_Services/Benefits_and_Entitlements/Hospital_charges.html#out

Procrastastudy

jenniferalan wrote: »

I was recently involved in a car accident and was charged for
285 in first bill, 100 for A&E and 185 for A&E RTA.
Second bill was 700 for the length of stay at hospital.

I presumed that the A&E RTA was the charge for ambulance but it is an additional charge that car crash patients have to pay. Had anyone any knowledge on this? I think it's ridiculous that I have to pay an extra 185 for being seen to, the injury I suffered from could also occur through a bad fall

It will come down to the fact that if its an RTA the parties will be insured. The health service are just cashing in on an area which distributes loss fairly. It's actually quite a smart move imho.

If you caused the accident - you'll pay more attention in future or buy better insurance.

If you where the innocent party - you'll claim from the the side.

Win, win in all honesty.

seamus

Were you admitted as an in-patient to the hospital that the ambulance brought you to, or were you referred on elsewhere?

jenniferalan

seamus wrote: »

Were you admitted as an in-patient to the hospital that the ambulance brought you to, or were you referred on elsewhere?

I was moved to another nearby hospital and was admitted for 10 days

seamus

That probably explains it then. You weren't admitted as an in-patient to the hospital that you attended for A&E, hence the €100 charge.

jenniferalan

seamus wrote: »

That probably explains it then. You weren't admitted as an in-patient to the hospital that you attended for A&E, hence the €100 charge.

I've no problem paying the standard 100 euro a&e charge. It's the extra 185 that I have a problem with, it is not mentioned on hse website even

Carawaystick

I'd dispute the A&E charge, if you were transferred and admitted to another hospital. Happened to me before and the first hospital waived it.

5500

There's no charge for any DFB ambulance or HSE ambulance in the country, the citizens information article in incorrect.
The fire service is a different matter where local authorities are concerned and they do charge for attendance at an RTA but it wouldnt be the hospital billing you for this.

I've heard of these "ambulance charges" being mooted before when people attend A&E but its the hospital who's charging you for something they appear to be making up themself's, not the HSE or DFB ambulance services.