Hospital visit

Jellybaby1 · 09-01-2013 3:49pm #1

I may be in the wrong place here but Health threads are about health. This is more a financial problem. Young chap I know has a medical condition he needs to get sorted out but won't go to GP or Hospital as he can't afford fees. I know the background myself so I know he is really strapped right now. I suggested he goes to A&E as I thought as a public patient they would look after him but he thinks he would have to pay a fee to be seen. His condition is not life-threatening, but painful and I believe would need a minor op. Can anyone set us straight on please.

GerardKeating · 09-01-2013 4:42pm

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I may be in the wrong place here but Health threads are about health. This is more a financial problem. Young chap I know has a medical condition he needs to get sorted out but won't go to GP or Hospital as he can't afford fees. I know the background myself so I know he is really strapped right now. I suggested he goes to A&E as I thought as a public patient they would look after him but he thinks he would have to pay a fee to be seen. His condition is not life-threatening, but painful and I believe would need a minor op. Can anyone set us straight on please.

€100 fee if you go to A&E with out a GP letter. I assume he does not have a medical card.

Esoteric_ · 09-01-2013 7:43pm

GerardKeating wrote: »

€100 fee if you go to A&E with out a GP letter. I assume he does not have a medical card.

You can be billed for this instead of paying it upfront, if there is any chance of him securing the money in a week or two after going in?

mp22 · 09-01-2013 8:12pm

Is the chap on the dole?

Jellybaby1 · 10-01-2013 12:35am

On the dole, no medical card and if he applied now he would be waiting for ages for the card. I doubt the €100 would magically appear in a few weeks either.

Esoteric_ · 10-01-2013 12:38am

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

On the dole, no medical card and if he applied now he would be waiting for ages for the card. I doubt the €100 would magically appear in a few weeks either.

In his position, I would go, get the bill, bring it to his local CWO and seek help. That's what they're there for.

Jellybaby1 · 10-01-2013 12:43am

Thanks Lynda, neither he nor us are very familiar with the SW system and we are always in a fog over these matters. I always feel we have to squeeze to get information. Thanks for your suggestion I will pass it on to him.

Stheno · 10-01-2013 12:46am

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Thanks Lynda, neither he nor us are very familiar with the SW system and we are always in a fog over these matters. I always feel we have to squeeze to get information. Thanks for your suggestion I will pass it on to him.

Is there no-one he can borrow the gp fee from?

Once he hits the gp and gets a referral he won't have any costs.

Surely someone can loan him €50?

Jellybaby1 · 10-01-2013 12:49am

Stheno wrote: »

Is there no-one he can borrow the gp fee from?

Once he hits the gp and gets a referral he won't have any costs.

Surely someone can loan him €50?

Thanks. He has received help from friends from time to time but you can only ask so much.

Esoteric_ · 10-01-2013 1:01am

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Thanks. He has received help from friends from time to time but you can only ask so much.

He may as well pop down to his CWO so, once he gets the A and E bill.

Since you said you guys aren't very clued up on the system, the CWO should be in your local health center, but you can always Google 'CWO in *area where you live*' to be certain.

Stheno · 10-01-2013 1:03am

LyndaMcL wrote: »

He may as well pop down to his CWO so, once he gets the A and E bill.

Since you said you guys aren't very clued up on the system, the CWO should be in your local health center, but you can always Google 'CWO in *area where you live*' to be certain.

A and E might well decide it's neither an accident or an emergency though.

I know my GP regularly lets people off with fees if they are a regular patient (have been on the books for a while), so he could also try that if he has a regular GP, go in, when it comes to pay discover no card and ask for an invoice?

cheaper too.

Jellybaby1 · 10-01-2013 1:06am

Many thanks for all the advice.

Cushie Butterfield · 10-01-2013 3:13am

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

On the dole, no medical card and if he applied now he would be waiting for ages for the card. I doubt the €100 would magically appear in a few weeks either.

If his sole source of income is unemployent benefit/assistance it's almost certain that he would be eligible for a medical card, so he should submit his application straight away.

Once you were eligible for a medical card at the time of hospital treatment, even if you didn't actually have one at the time your hospital bills for accomodation & treatment as a public patient are covered, so when his bill(s) arrive he can contact the hospital billing section & advise them that he has applied for a medical card & that he will contact them when he has the card number. They can note this on their system & cancel the bill as soon as he gets his card.

From what you say he will probably be referred on from A&E to an outpatient dept anyway if he requires ongoing treatment or surgery, which again may take some time depending on waiting list lengths, so his medical card application would be well in the system by the time any bills would arrive. Again, all outpatient or inpatient hospital charges would be covered by his medical card.

Even if in the unlikely event that his medical card application was refused he can apply to the HSE to have his bills waived on the grounds of undue hardship & in the unlikely event of that being refused he can come to an arrangement with the hospital to pay small amounts off his bill on a weekly basis.

Jellybaby1 · 10-01-2013 1:00pm

There won't be ongoing treatment. It will be a quick fixit job. Its awful that so many are in this poverty trap and haven't a clue. Thanks so much.

yabadabado · 10-01-2013 8:32pm

Why hasn't he applied for a medical card?Surely anyone with even a basic knowledge of the social welfare system knows about it.

Esoteric_ · 10-01-2013 8:33pm

yabadabado wrote: »

Why hasn't he applied for a medical card?Surely anyone with even a basic knowledge of the social welfare system knows about it.

It takes up to 6 months to be approved, he could have applied for one.

yabadabado · 10-01-2013 8:38pm

LyndaMcL wrote: »

It takes up to 6 months to be approved, he could have applied for one.

He still should apply for one asap.no reason not to.If I was on the dole its the first thing I would do.Never know when you might need it.

whats_happenin · 10-01-2013 11:00pm

LyndaMcL wrote: »

It takes up to 6 months to be approved, he could have applied for one.

It does not take 6 months for a medical card. You said he is only on sw so he just needs to send in proof wit his app and it will be issued within 15 days very straight forward when on social welfare

Jellybaby1 · 10-01-2013 11:08pm

I picked up an application form for him today and will pass it on to him. Thank you everyone.

Kristopherus · 10-01-2013 11:09pm

LyndaMcL wrote: »

It takes up to 6 months to be approved, he could have applied for one.

Rubbish. A relative on the dole recently applied for a medical card & was approved in 2 weeks. Had the card no texted to them so they could go to GP.

Jellybaby1 · 10-01-2013 11:12pm

Do the cards come from the same department for everyone? If not, then maybe the delay depends on the department you deal with or the area you are in, long or short waiting lists in different areas? Anyway the process will begin soon when he gets the form.

Esoteric_ · 11-01-2013 12:17am

Kristopherus wrote: »

Rubbish. A relative on the dole recently applied for a medical card & was approved in 2 weeks. Had the card no texted to them so they could go to GP.

Eh, I'm going on what my mum was told when she applied 4 months ago.

yabadabado · 11-01-2013 1:40am

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Do the cards come from the same department for everyone? If not, then maybe the delay depends on the department you deal with or the area you are in, long or short waiting lists in different areas? Anyway the process will begin soon when he gets the form.

All come from the one area.its centrally processed.

_Whimsical_ · 11-01-2013 1:47am

I've seen signs up in my dr's offices telling patients not to stay away for money reasons and that dr's can negotiate on price and on flexible terms of payment if necessary. Just go to the GP and explain your situation. He will be legally and morally obliged to deal with any illness requiring treatment even if you cannot pay him. At the very worst there may be some embarrassment on your part if he or she is the insensitive type but it will absolutely not be worse than the suffering you're already enduring physically or psychologically.

phoenix999 · 11-01-2013 2:36am

Just came from the hospital where my uncle had a serious infection and had to have a blood drain bag in place. Didn't even have a bed to give him. Doctor said it was serious. All because he didnt want to bother anyone or cause a fuss. Health always comes before money. Beg, borrow or steal. Just go to a doctor.

Janedoe10 · 11-01-2013 2:49am

phoenix999 wrote: »

Just came from the hospital where my uncle had a serious infection and had to have a blood drain bag in place. Didn't even have a bed to give him. Doctor said it was serious. All because he didnt want to bother anyone or cause a fuss. Health always comes before money. Beg, borrow or steal. Just go to a doctor.

He Phoenix best wishes to your uncle .
It's sad to think that some guys well delay going to docs some times just so that they don't want to worry others or think it will pass without intervention .
Then there are others that head to docs for the smallest thing . My dad treats the docs surgery as if he was a kid in school and he is been dragged to school dentist for a checkup and they are going to give him fillings without the pain relief ...

Hospital visit

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