Woman gets €1,175 bill for room after spending 90 minutes in hospital

A woman who spent 90 minutes at Cork’s newest private hospital, where she underwent a cataract procedure, was charged €1,175 for use of a room, on top of consultant and anaesthesiologist fees.

The woman, from Ballincollig, Co Cork, arrived at the Mater Private Hospital in City Gate, Mahon, at 8.45am on the day in question.

She sat in a chair while her blood pressure was taken and was given a gown. She walked to theatre, where she was put on a trolley and wheeled in for the procedure.

According to the woman, the surgery took approximately 15 minutes.

“When this was finished, I was taken back to the room in a wheelchair, my blood pressure was taken again and I was given a cup of tea and toast. I was discharged at 10.15am,” the woman said.

“At no time did I occupy a bed or recliner. For this 90 minutes at the Mater Private Hospital the charge was €1,175 for the room, excluding the surgeon and anaesthesiologist fees.”

She said that while the professional fees were also “exorbitant”, her main issue was the day care cost.

Upon receiving the bill, the woman said she contacted her private health insurer, Laya Healthcare.

She claims they told her private hospitals in Cork could “basically charge what they like” because of lack of competition. The Bon Secours Hospital is the only other private hospital in the city since the closure of Shanakiel Hospital in Sunday’s Well.

The Mater Private’s opening was only made possible after agreement was reached with the Sunday’s Well hospital to close and transfer its VHI cover to Mahon, as the VHI refused to cover additional private beds in Cork, citing excess capacity.

The woman claims Laya told her “things are slightly different in Dublin, where there is more competition”. The woman said it was “an obscene amount of money to be charged for such a short visit” and “it is no wonder the premiums are so high for private health care and so many people have to opt out of having this cover”.

The Mater Private said fees charged for all healthcare services it provides “reflect the costs involved in delivering these services” as negotiated in advance and agreed with insurers. It said included in the costs “are items such as staff costs, materials used during the procedure — some of which are expensive single-use items — and facilities”.