Hospitals tighten up private bill collection

[Posted: Thu 05/11/2009]

Approximately €94 million is owed to hospitals in private accommodation costs but is being held up as the claims are awaiting sign-off by consultants, according to HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm.

He told the Dail Public Accounts Committee today that the HSE has now introduced a major drive to have all outstanding claim forms signed off by consultants submitted and paid by the end of the year.

He said achieving this target will treble the HSE's current weekly cost recovery from insurers until the end of the year to over €20 million a week.

It has also emerged that over €375 million is being list to the State as private patients are not being billed by the state when they occupy public beds.

Prof Drumm told the Committee that 85 consultants have so far been alerted about exceeding the ratio of private to public patients under the new consultant contract.

He said 1,688 of the 1,88 consultants employed by the HSE in August 2008 signed up to the new contract.

In addition, 218 new consultant posts had been creared recently and come under the new contract.