The chairperson of the HSE West’s regional health forum Cllr Padraig Conneely has blasted the health authority for its failure to collect €11m owed to University Hospital Galway by private health insurers.
The Fine Gael councillor and former city mayor says this comes at a time when the regional hospital is “financially starved” of funding.
“UHG has failed to collect the outstanding €11m due for 2008. Private patients are entitled to a bed in a public hospital and the hospital will then invoice the private health insurers for the cost.”
He says this failure to collect the outstanding amount at a time when “serious cutbacks” are affecting public health care at UHG is a major concern.
“The HSE has serious questions to answer. I will be raising the outstanding money at the next HSE regional health forum meeting in Galway.”
A spokesperson for the HSE West said it collects all statutory charges permitted under existing regulations.
“While we accept that there can be delays in collection times the overall collection rate exceeds 90 per cent.
“Hospitals are only entitled to a maintenance charge if the private or semi-private patient occupies a designated private or semi-private bed. The HSE is precluded from charging private patients in public beds.”
She outlined that the current charges for private patients in private beds are close to the economic cost of the bed.
“While the current rates do not cover the full economic cost to the public hospital increases over the past few years have reduced the gap. The HSE is working with the private insurance providers and the Department of Health and Children to improve the collection process and to speed up payments to the HSE from the private insurers.”
