Accounts

Patient Accounts Department
South Tipperary General Hospital
Phone: (052)6177006/ (052)6177016 / (052)6177003/ (052)6187817
Fax: (052)6177196

The Patient Accounts section at STGH is primarily responsible for the generation and collection of all Statutory Hospital charges as determined by the Department of Health and Children. Charges are subject to change on an annual Basis. Exemptions to the Statutory In-Patient charge applicable in certain circumstances as follows:

* Medical Card holders.
* Health (amendment) Act Cardholders (HAA Card)
* Women receiving services in respect of motherhood
* Children up to the age of six weeks
* Children referred for treatment from child health clinics and school health examinations
* Children suffering from prescribed diseases or disabilities (the exemption applies only to treatment for the prescribed condition)
* Person receiving services in respect of prescribed infectious diseases
* Persons deemed to be persons with full eligibility by a CEO under Section 45 (7) of the Health Act 1970, for the purpose of the services concerned

Persons who have already paid the maximum 10 days / nights Statutory In-Patient charge over a period of twelve consecutive months in any public hospital

Consultant Specialist Medical conferral advice is available to the primary medical teams in STGH through switch at Waterford Regional Hospital 24/7.

Nursing advice is available through the South Tipperary Hospice Home-Care Team on pager (052) 6124082 - 24/7.The Department also co-ordinates the collation of hospital information in respect of legal action relating to Road Traffic Acts and the pursuance of the recovery of its costs on foot of settlement of claims reached.

Income:
The generation of patient income is an integral part of the annual budgetary requirement at STGH in that the gross funding required by each hospital is reduced by the amount of the income target set by the HSE.

The collection of patient income necessitates identifying the nature of the patient's hospital treatment, length of stay, type of accommodation provided and other relevant personal information required to raise the appropriate hospital charge. The subsequent recording and receipting of monies received as well as the follow-up non-payees is also and essential part of the sections work.

STGH operates a Direct Payment agreement with VHI Healthcare, Quinn Healthcare, Hibernian Aviva Health, Garda Medical Aid and ESB. Patient account staff has responsibility for the management of the Direct Payment process which involves the collation of patient's insurance claims to include the patients completed insurance claim form, hospital invoice, Consultant invoice with relevant medical information and invoices from all other Consultants involved in the patients care eg. Radiology, laboratory. The subsequent tracking of submitted claims are key elements in this departments work. Please note it is the patient's responsibility a t all time to verify with their health insurance company if their hospital bills will be honoured.

In the matter of unpaid debts, patient accounts liaise with an external debt recovery service to collect monies due and this may occasionally result in legal proceeding being pursued.