HSE paid agencies €2.4m to collect unpaid patient fees

THE HSE has paid debt collection firms a minimum of €2.4 million since 2005 in an attempt to track down patients who owe a staggering €266m in hospital fees.

New figures confirmed by the executive show facilities across the country are continuing to seek these firms’ assistance as hard-pressed members of the public fail to pay.

Over the past six years debt collectors Intrum Justitia and Cash Flow Services — the latter of which is in examinership — have received almost all of the taxpayer-funded contracts.

Among the hospitals to have paid most are Tallaght Hospital (€395,000) and the Waterford Regional Hospital (€172,000).

However, the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Ennis (€128,978), Cork University Hospital (€102,000), Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda (€103,000) and James Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown (€110,000) have paid substantial fees.

The reported costs — which are likely to exceed the stated figure as not all facilities have provided full expenditure levels — have been accrued due to HSE attempts to retrieve hundreds of millions of euro owed by former patients.

As the Irish Examiner revealed last month, the amount of money owed to hospitals since the start of 2005 has reached a staggering €266m

This figure — which is almost double the €117m owed to the then health boards before the creation of the HSE — includes €221m in unpaid private patient and road traffic accident charges. A further €28m in outstanding patient fees, €13m in emergency department charges and €4m in “miscellaneous” hospital fees have also failed to be settled.

The HSE confirmed a “limited” number of patients contacted by debt collection agencies complained about the actions.