medical report for work help!

nubby

I have a ongoing chronic med. condition that resulted in a period of leave from work recently. My employer -a gov department, requested a medical report. I decided to get it from my consultant rather than gp because of the type of condition I have. Anyhow this week I received a bill for 150 euro frm consultant for the report which I didn't get a copy of. Was totally shocked and upset, I cannot afford to pay and have already payed consultant a fortune for apts and treatments. Work will not pay it appears. Can anyone advise me on what to do?
Fed up being ill and ripped off !

Stheno

Call the consultants secretary and see if they will accept a payment plan?

Mrs OBumble

What did you expect to happen? Did you ask work how much they would be willing to pay for the report, or did you just let them get the invoice and then throw a fit because of the size of it?

monflat

Stheno wrote: »

Call the consultants secretary and see if they will accept a payment plan?

I'd agree with this and while you are talking to the Secretary ask for a copy of the report.

It was your choice to go to this consultant, so you must expect to pay their fees. Would you have been ok to pay GP's fee of up to €60?

nubby

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It was your choice to go to this consultant, so you must expect to pay their fees. Would you have been ok to pay GP's fee of up to €60?

Yes of course I would have paid €60 my gp has no real understanding of my condition so it would b pointless to ask her for report. Hope u never find urself ill and taken advantage of in this way

Stheno

nubby wrote: »

Yes of course I would have paid €60 my gp has no real understanding of my condition so it would b pointless to ask her for report. Hope u never find urself ill and taken advantage of in this way

did you think you wouldn't have to pay for the report?

nubby

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

What did you expect to happen? Did you ask work how much they would be willing to pay for the report, or did you just let them get the invoice and then throw a fit because of the size of it?

Yea it was exactly like that- thanks for ur pointless input. If u have nothing to contribute why bother posting.

Grandpa Hassan

nubby wrote: »

Yes of course I would have paid €60 my gp has no real understanding of my condition so it would b pointless to ask her for report. Hope u never find urself ill and taken advantage of in this way

I actually don't see how you were taken advantage of. Consultants are more expensive than GPs and don't normally do work medicals. Did you think you would not have to pay? Like the other posters said, I would ask if they will take a payment plan.

You should certainly get your own copy of that report though

nubby

Grandpa Hassan wrote: »

I actually don't see how you were taken advantage of. Consultants are more expensive than GPs and don't normally do work medicals. Did you think you would not have to pay? Like the other posters said, I would ask if they will take a payment plan.

You should certainly get your own copy of that report though

Yes of course I expected to pay up to €100 for it and get a copy.
Anyhow obviously I am just going to be abused on here by posters who know everything so I think I'll leave it at that. I thought there might b someone in here with genuine advice or experience as I am a first time poster... guess I was wrong.

Grandpa Hassan

nubby wrote: »

Yes of course I expected to pay up to €100 for it and get a copy.
Anyhow obviously I am just going to be abused on here by posters who know everything so I think I'll leave it at that. I thought there might b someone in here with genuine advice or experience as I am a first time poster... guess I was wrong.

I'm genuinely not sure what advice you are expecting other than to ask if they will take a payment plan.

Stheno

nubby wrote: »

Yes of course I expected to pay up to €100 for it and get a copy.
Anyhow obviously I am just going to be abused on here by posters who know everything so I think I'll leave it at that. I thought there might b someone in here with genuine advice or experience as I am a first time poster... guess I was wrong.

you have gotten genuine advice and ignored it. For future reference check the cost of reports even gps charge high fees for these

slavetothegrind

hold on, there was no visit here right?

you asked your consultant whom you have been with for a while to forward a report on your condition to your employer.

The consultant agreed, did so and billed you 150 for the time involved? I'd be pissed off too!

Over the top IMHO. Change consultant if at all possible, one greedy git. I'm sure he's had a small fortune out of you already.

monflat

nubby wrote: »

Yes of course I expected to pay up to €100 for it and get a copy.
Anyhow obviously I am just going to be abused on here by posters who know everything so I think I'll leave it at that. I thought there might b someone in here with genuine advice or experience as I am a first time poster... guess I was wrong.

Well


God almighty you were given good advice but not the advice you thought you would get ( thinkin that you should get the report free or paid for)

At no time did I read that anyone abused you

I know lots of people with a medical condition and chronic illness however they don't come with an attitude like your presenting with here to genuine people who bothered to reply to you

endacl

nubby wrote: »

Yes of course I expected to pay up to €100 for it and get a copy.
Anyhow obviously I am just going to be abused on here by posters who know everything so I think I'll leave it at that. I thought there might b someone in here with genuine advice or experience as I am a first time poster... guess I was wrong.

I think you may have got a little lost on your way to tellmeexactlywhatiwanttohear.com...

Grandpa Hassan

slavetothegrind wrote: »

hold on, there was no visit here right?

you asked your consultant whom you have been with for a while to forward a report on your condition to your employer.

The consultant agreed, did so and billed you 150 for the time involved? I'd be pissed off too!

Over the top IMHO. Change consultant if at all possible, one greedy git. I'm sure he's had a small fortune out of you already.

Welcome to the world of consultants!

davo10

slavetothegrind wrote: »

hold on, there was no visit here right?

you asked your consultant whom you have been with for a while to forward a report on your condition to your employer.

The consultant agreed, did so and billed you 150 for the time involved? I'd be pissed off too!

Over the top IMHO. Change consultant if at all possible, one greedy git. I'm sure he's had a small fortune out of you already.

Have you ever seen a medical report?, you may be confusing it with a cert which is only a few lines. A report contains, history of illness, tests undertake, results, treatments, prognosis, future treatments and expected absences from work etc. this can take much longer than a standard "visit" time to prepare and write. OPs GP could have done a briefer and cheaper version but OP chose her consultant and consented to it being forwarded, which was also a mistake by the way as her employer neither needed nor would have wished to have/sought the comprehensive report her consultant would have provided.

The_Conductor

If its public sector- its a doctor to doctor report you ordered, whether you realise it or not, when you contacted the consultant. In all probability your employer will forward it to the CMO. Its entirely normal to be billed for it- I've had to do it twice (after Crohn's flare-ups that resulted in hospitalisation and surgery). Sorry- but nothing unusual here.

nubby

nubby wrote: »

Yes of course I would have paid €60 my gp has no real understanding of my condition so it would b pointless to ask her for report. Hope u never find urself ill and taken advantage of in this way

I wasn't suggesting you ask your GP for report. All I'm saying that you'd have to pay for such a report no matter who gave it.

CIARAN_BOYLE

1. Ask for a copy of the report since you paid for it you might as well make sure that its more than a 2 line sick cert.

2. Someone has to pay for it so it might as well be you since you are the one that needs it. Put it on the med 1 somewhere for tax back.

The_Conductor

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

1. Ask for a copy of the report since you paid for it you might as well make sure that its more than a 2 line sick cert.

2. Someone has to pay for it so it might as well be you since you are the one that needs it. Put it on the med 1 somewhere for tax back.

You are *not* entitled to a copy of a consultants doctor-to-doctor report.
It is a communication between two doctors- it is not for the patient, for personnel officers or for anyone else.

If the OP wanted a 'sick note'- he or she should have specified this. They did not- they wanted a detailed report from their consultant, and specifically requested just that- whether or not they realised what they were doing.

I'm sorry- but it sounds like the OP wasn't happy with a letter from their GP and decided to go in a different direction- not realising what it entailed. The inverse of all of this- is if its forwarded to the CMO- their sick leave may be discounted (at the CMO's discretion- and this would have to be requested)- and if they are sick again with the condition- they'll likely get less of an interrogation on their return- given its documented, so its not all bad news.

Next step for the OP- would be a little meeting with their union rep, to see- can the sick leave be discounted, and what their options are for this absence, and future occurrences.

Gongoozler

First yes this is standard, to be charged for a report and for it to not be copied to you.

Second 150 is actually the cheapest I've seen requested for a report, up to 800 I've seen. And yes they can charge whatever they want, it's up to you to decide to go with it or not.

Third, while its not standard for you to get a copy, you are entitled to request a copy under FOI, as it is about you. So if you want a copy request it in writing quoting the FOI Act.

Fourth, it's a report and will very unlikely just be a 2 line cert.

eyescreamcone

€150 for a report from a consultant is par for the course in my opinion.

How much would a guy charge to fix your washing machine?

The_Conductor

Gongoozler wrote: »

you are entitled to request a copy under FOI, as it is about you. So if you want a copy request it in writing quoting the FOI Act.

You're not automatically entitled to all information about you under the FOI act, if you are trying to retrieve information under the act- ensure it applies, and quote the relevant section you are invoking- or else you'll just look silly.

Not all public organisations are covered, and in the public sector- there are specific categories of employees, to whom the act does not apply.

Make sure it suits the situation.

Gongoozler

Sorry yes you're not automatically entitled to it, but what I mean is you can apply for it.