Surprise charge from hospital after trip to A&E

Idiophreak

barbiedoll wrote: »

It's the same with the ambulance charges, although I thought that was only for time-wasters, e.g. women in early labour, vomiting drunks etc etc, things that aren't an emergency. I personally, have never, ever met anyone who was charged for calling an ambulance, although I know a few that should have been! :mad:

My mum made the mistake once of standing anywhere but directly behind my dad when he was teeing off. She got smacked in the back of the head by a golf ball which was travelling fairly quickly... a lot of blood and panic later the ambulance arrived and rushed her in for stitches, scans etc. She got charged for the ambulance ride. I don't think she minded much, but it definitely happens.

Peanuckle

Well charging for medication at A&E is a new one on me, I spent a fair amount of time in various casualty depts in England thanks to a violent 1st husband and never received a charge for anything. Admittedly I'm in Scotland now but when taking my 18 year old son, husband, neighbour, myself and eldest son into a&e, prior to the free prescriptions up here, I've never had any of us charged for tablets to take away. The tablets concerned included several types of painkillers, antibiotics, diazipam etc.


Oh and for the nurse. People do get sent home with concussion, I was and so was my son but only if there was someone else with you who could keep and eye on you and take you back if you became drowsy, hard to rouse or start acting strangely. In an ideal world they might be kept in but thanks to the lack of beds it's not the only option.

MeanParent

Zedicus wrote: »

Your opinion, maybe, not others.


That aphorism applies to CRIMINAL law. This is a civil matter.


So much fail in a single post!

No its criminal to avoid paying the charge if it is due. Further, if the OP is exempt then all they needed to do was prove the exemption.

SingleSue

Huge great signs up in our A&E about being charged for medication to take away with you...the first time I saw the sign (and not really reading it properly), I went into major panic mode as I only had enough for parking charges and a cup of tea while I waited for eldest to be sorted out.

Then I read it properly and realised he wouldn't be charged anyway as he is full time education.

Humphrey10

goater78 wrote: »

I think some ambulances have started to charge after road traffic accidents when its your fault

Torry_Quine wrote: »

If you need an ambulance after a road accident then you are charged for it. This is not new as I had this from the 80's. Letter was sent to insurers who paid it.

First ambulance was for a road accident where I was the one at fault (I had a seizure while driving), I didn't recieve a letter about it, though I suppose the insurance company might have received one.

I'm sure the fire engine + team of firemen were more expensive than the ambulance and couple of paramedics, do they charge for fire engines too?

Neither that ambulance or the second one was needed in the end, I received no needed treatment at A&E other than an x-ray that showed no damage and some painkillers, and lots of tests that came back normal. Plus it cost £40 in taxis to get back home. So if they had charged me I would not have been happy at all!

rustyboy21

I think it must be regional, the charging of meds at A&E

I was taken in by ambulance in October, after scratching my face with a tree branch, which turned into cellulitis in my face, the swelling blocked my windpipe up. I was admitted onto the observation ward for 4 days and given IV antibiotics 6 times a day. Whilst in there they used my some of my meds as they are specialist ones they did not keep on A&E.

Onleaving, they refilled my used meds with a months supply and also sent me out with 10 days antibiotics and 10 days anti virals. I was not charged for anything at all. I havent heard anything since.

You wont be charged for meds used on you if you are admitted, you may be charged for ones you take home, unless you fall into the exemption catagory. If you were charged for meds used whilst admitted, Hospitals would be empty !

If you attend A&E as a walk in patient and are not going to be admitted, you are usually given a yellow prescription. When I have had these in the past, I have always been asked by the pharmacy if I pay for scripts. As I do, unless it is an urgent med POM, they usually tell me that most of the time they can be bought over the counter cheaper . The amount of scripts that doctors write out for simple eye drops, paracetamol, or laxatives etc must be huge. Maybe it is a pschological thing of making the patient feel better.

I do think that you should be charged for using an ambulance for non emergency transport to hospital though, for the likes of sprained ankles,drunks,hypochondriacs etc, whether you are exempt from paying script charges or not

Mrs_Ryan

After OH and I were in our road accident, I went to hospital in an ambulance but wasnt charged - then again though it wasnt our fault so suspect that's why, not sure if the idiot old duffer who rammed us off the road was charged for it though, although I sincerely hope he was, we cost his insurance co a few quid! I only had a soft tissue injury so not serious so I suppose technically there should have been a charge although not to us when it wasnt our fault!! I see a lot of ambulances needed at the matches - wonder if the club get charged for those???
I wasnt charged for any meds I was given either although all I had was gas and air and simple ibuprofen - I paid for the co-codamol my own GP prescribed me later though. I havent been to A&E for some time but I know when I went to the walk in centre with an excruciating ear infection I got charged for the drops I was given..

missile

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

After OH and I were in our road accident, I went to hospital in an ambulance but wasnt charged - then again though it wasnt our fault so suspect that's why, not sure if the idiot old duffer who rammed us off the road was charged for it though, although I sincerely hope he was, ..

Hospital would not know who ran you off the road and would have no way of contacting "the old duffer". Seems you got off with the cost, as do many.

If he had been charged you would have been interviewed and if prosecuted you would have been asked to give evidence.

Zedicus

MeanParent wrote: »

No its criminal to avoid paying the charge if it is due.

Why do you keep posting when you clearly have no idea what you are talking about?

It is a criminal offence to make a false statement on the prescription form in order to get free items to which you are not entitled.

If someone simply gives you the items and then raises a charge it is a civil debt.

Further, if the OP is exempt then all they needed to do was prove the exemption.

Even that is wrong. All you need to do is state that you are exempt on the form - there is no requirement for proof. The NHS MIGHT check up at a later date.

Badger_Lady

missile wrote: »

Hospital would not know who ran you off the road and would have no way of contacting "the old duffer". Seems you got off with the cost, as do many.

Or they could have gone directly to insurance, via the Police (assuming they were on the scene).

I've been a few too many serious car accidents involving the emergency services - in each case the costs were charged back to my insurance without me ever being directly involved in paperwork or charges. I once had a bill from the highways agency, which I just forwarded on to my insurance company to deal with - they added it to the pile of invoices.