Signed Public Health Care Waiver Under Duress (Costs Not Covered Privately)

theunderscore

Hi guys,

Apologies beforehand if this is the wrong forum.

I was admitted to hospital earlier this year with serious abdominal/pelvic pain, which was caused by a very large abscess Thankfully, it didn’t burst (if it did I would have died). I was admitted to the emergency department of the local public hospital after waiting several hours. I was in a tremendous amount of pain at the time and received a strong dose of pain relief and put on a trolley. I fell asleep a little while after that.

About an hour later, I was woken up by a member of the admissions department, who shoved some forms under my nose and said that a bed was ready for me and that I needed to sign these forms “for the bed”. I was delirious from both the pain meds and the pain itself. I was also desperate for a bed and under the impression that I’d be left on the trolley if I didn’t sign the forms (which I could barely sign let alone read). So, I signed. I’ve never been admitted to hospital as an in-patient before. I thought this was just hospital admission protocol. There was no one else with me at the time to read the forms and tell me otherwise.

Three weeks later and one very major surgery, I found out that I had unwittingly signed a form that waived my right to public health care (I have private insurance). None of my hospital bills are covered by my insurance provider as the illness was caused by an underlying condition that I had declared beforehand. I would never have signed these forms if I had been lucid, as I suspected that the pain was related to the underlying condition.

I spent a lot of time in hospital and the bill total is well over €20,000. My insurance provider did investigate, but they can’t proceed any further as I had signed the claim form and private care billing form (even though I had no idea what I had signed at the time).
I wrote to the hospital after I was discharged, stating that I had signed the form under duress. They acknowledged receipt and that was it.

The hospital bills started rolling in last week and I have no idea what to do. I’m in my late twenties and paying these costs is going to cripple me financially for a number of years. I just feel violated. My right to public care was taken away when I was in a very vulnerable position. I still need to have more surgery and the financial worry of it all is not doing me any good.

I’m wondering if anyone else has found themselves in a similar situation?

adam88

theunderscore wrote: »

Hi guys,

Apologies beforehand if this is the wrong forum.

I was admitted to hospital earlier this year with serious abdominal/pelvic pain, which was caused by a very large abscess Thankfully, it didn’t burst (if it did I would have died). I was admitted to the emergency department of the local public hospital after waiting several hours. I was in a tremendous amount of pain at the time and received a strong dose of pain relief and put on a trolley. I fell asleep a little while after that.

About an hour later, I was woken up by a member of the admissions department, who shoved some forms under my nose and said that a bed was ready for me and that I needed to sign these forms “for the bed”. I was delirious from both the pain meds and the pain itself. I was also desperate for a bed and under the impression that I’d be left on the trolley if I didn’t sign the forms (which I could barely sign let alone read). So, I signed. I’ve never been admitted to hospital as an in-patient before. I thought this was just hospital admission protocol. There was no one else with me at the time to read the forms and tell me otherwise.

Three weeks later and one very major surgery, I found out that I had unwittingly signed a form that waived my right to public health care (I have private insurance). None of my hospital bills are covered by my insurance provider as the illness was caused by an underlying condition that I had declared beforehand. I would never have signed these forms if I had been lucid, as I suspected that the pain was related to the underlying condition.

I spent a lot of time in hospital and the bill total is well over €20,000. My insurance provider did investigate, but they can’t proceed any further as I had signed the claim form and private care billing form (even though I had no idea what I had signed at the time).
I wrote to the hospital after I was discharged, stating that I had signed the form under duress. They acknowledged receipt and that was it.

The hospital bills started rolling in last week and I have no idea what to do. I’m in my late twenties and paying these costs is going to cripple me financially for a number of years. I just feel violated. My right to public care was taken away when I was in a very vulnerable position. I still need to have more surgery and the financial worry of it all is not doing me any good.

I’m wondering if anyone else has found themselves in a similar situation?

Spend a small amount of money talking to a solicitor. They'll get it sorted with a well worded letter. Happens all the time. Hospital think that the insurance will cough up.

Dingle_berry

Also put a complaint in writing to the hospital. Phone reception and ask who to send complaints to, there should be a patient services manager or quality manager.

theunderscore

Dingle_berry wrote: »

Also put a complaint in writing to the hospital. Phone reception and ask who to send complaints to, there should be a patient services manager or quality manager.

I already sent a letter after being discharged. Hand-delivered it to the head of patient accounts. The hospital sent a letter saying that they had received my letter and were looking into it. I never received an further reply. Instead, I started getting bills.

BobMc

Disgusting, this got some press on Liveline earlier this year and this exact same thing happened to my dad last year during an emergency admission, Next time again under an emergency admission couple weeks later My mom got clever and they refused to sign the form till my Mom went and was shown the private/semi private room (knowing they had cover)
he was to get. The asking of ill patients to sign these forms is deplorable !!

My advice and this was mentioned in the press and radio during any emergency admission the answer to any insurance query is NO!! and sign nothing, you're entitled to treatment as a citizen of the state. The insurance is great for elective
procedures and if you want a private/semi private room which down are way are slim to non existant anyhow