Hospitals due €200m from health insurers

PUBLIC hospitals are owed almost €200 million in unpaid private patient charges, inpatient levies and other costs over the past year as a direct result of insurance coverage delays.

An unpublished HSE value for money report has detailed a series of financial gaps at the facilities over the past 12 months.

The document was drawn up by health service officials to examine a range of payment concerns surrounding private insurance claims, private patient charges and inpatient levies. These costs are directly linked to when insurance firms agree they are responsible for covering medical costs accrued by certain patients’ treatment.