Letters from Debt Collection Agency

C

clareG

Registered User
Messages
128
I attended a Dublin hospital last March with GP letter and was admitted for treatment. I received a statement saying I owed €60.00, telephoned the hospital and reminded them that I had GP letter and was told it was a mistake. One month later I received another demand. Again I telephone they were very sorry, no need to worry the account was settled. Ithen received a letter from a debt collection agency on behalf of the hospital demanding that I pay or I would be in Stubbs. I again phoned accounts section of the hospital, again I was told sorry. I told them I was not happy to have my name passed on to a debt collector when I did not owe any money and could they please ensure that my name was removed from their unpaid accounts. I was assured again that this would happen. I even received a letter from the debt collection agency confirming I did not owe money and apologies etc. Guess what, last week another demand from the hospital and yesterday another letter from debt collection agency. I am just so mad at the moment I don't know what to do.
 
As far as I am aware you need to pay 60 euro for every day in hospital. I have to pay it as well even though I have a GP referral.
 
clareG said:
I attended a Dublin hospital last March with GP letter and was admitted for treatment. I received a statement saying I owed €60.00, telephoned the hospital and reminded them that I had GP letter and was told it was a mistake. One month later I received another demand. Again I telephone they were very sorry, no need to worry the account was settled. Ithen received a letter from a debt collection agency on behalf of the hospital demanding that I pay or I would be in Stubbs. I again phoned accounts section of the hospital, again I was told sorry. I told them I was not happy to have my name passed on to a debt collector when I did not owe any money and could they please ensure that my name was removed from their unpaid accounts. I was assured again that this would happen. I even received a letter from the debt collection agency confirming I did not owe money and apologies etc. Guess what, last week another demand from the hospital and yesterday another letter from debt collection agency. I am just so mad at the moment I don't know what to do.
Click to expand...

Get in touch with a local politician or councilor. I find them useful for getting rid of these types of bureaucracies quickly.
 
Make sure you get a name each time you call. That way, you can call in and say "X told me the account was settled". It also means you can hassle the same person each time to get it sorted out.
 
Contact the complaints office for the hospital and outline it like you have here, adding in as many of the dates on which your contacts with the hospital took place.

There's a new system in place now which means a formal complaint must be addressed and responded to so it will mean that you can create an official record of what has happened.

Sounds like there is some automated process in which your name has got caught up in and there's some problem getting it removed. I went to A&E once and got a final demand payment letter within 10 working days of attending (and they did not ask for the charge when I registered at the desk) - I thought you had at least 28 days to pay.

Not nice getting a debt-collection notice.
 
If you attend a hospital with a GP referral and are not admitted, there is no charge (there is a €60 charge if you do not have a GP referral).

If you are admitted, there is a charge of €60 per day up to a maximum of €600 in any year. This applies whether you have a GP referral or not.

There are exceptions (medical card holders, children up to 6 weeks and others) and the hospital/HSE may decide to waive the fee in cases of hardship.

Information from the Citizens Information Website [broken link removed]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top