A Brisbane doctor has contacted Croakey, concerned that international university students are being asked to pay for their care in public hospitals. The document below from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital says “ineligible patients” are asked to pay between $73.50 (per pathology request) and $3,594 (the daily rate for anyone landed in intensive care), depending on the service involved.
The doctor is already hearing anecdotes about students avoiding necessary hospital assessments and treatments. “I’ve heard other states might follow, and obviously this could have a major potential impact on Australia’s education industry.”
Can Croakey readers help. Is this the situation elsewhere?
Last I checked, international medical graduates working in areas of need are also denied Medicare cover (which, apart from anything, has always struck Croakey as just plain rude).
Meanwhile, this is the info sheet being distributed. Quite apart from the health impact on students, how must it be to have a job title “ineligible patient liaison officer”. Orwellian or what…
INFORMATION SHEET – INELIGIBLE PATIENTS
You have been classified as a Medicare Ineligible Patient. When attending the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for treatment you will be required to pay for services provided.
As an outpatient you will be required to pay for your treatment on each occasion of service prior to receiving treatment. If you have Private Health Insurance or Travel Insurance you may be able to claim back a percentage of the costs.
Non-Admitted charges are as follows:
§ When attending the Emergency Department as an outpatient you will be charged according to your category of triage:
Category 1 $ 764.00
Category 2 $ 716.00
Category 3 $ 511.00
Category 4 $ 240.00
Category 5 $ 189.00
§ When attending a public outpatient clinic, for each service provided, you will be charged $255.00. This amount will be charged for every outpatient appointment you attend. This fee covers the professional services provided by a Nurse, a Doctor or an Allied Health staff member.
§ When attending a private outpatient clinic, you will be charged at least $255.00, please confirm this with your Medical Specialist.
§ If you require any diagnostic imaging you will also be charged in accordance with the Medicare Benefits Schedule of fees.
§ The Pharmacy will charge the full cost for any pharmaceuticals issued, and
§ If any pathology is required you will be required to pay $73.50 per request.
As an inpatient for a scheduled admission you will be required to pay for your treatment before admission. For an Emergency admission, payment for your treatment should be settled before discharge from hospital. If you have Private Health Insurance, Travel Insurance or other insurance you may be able to claim back a percentage of the costs.
Inpatient charges are as follows:
PUBLIC ELECTION
§ $1119.00 per day – Standard Rate
(Applies to GPIQ)
§ $945.50 – Same Day Admission
(Applies to GPIQSD)
§ $2263.00 per day– Coronary Care Unit
§ $3594.00 per day– Intensive Care Unit
§ $442.50 per day– Long Stay
§ $581.00 per day– Rehabilitation
§ $702.00 Theatre Fees =< 1 hr
§ $1766.00 Theatre Fees > 1 hr
§ Pharmaceuticals
§ Prosthetic Fees
PRIVATE ELECTION
§ $964.00 per day– Standard Rate
(Applies to GSIQ)
§ $667.00 – Same Day Admission
(applies to GSIQSD)
§ $2263.00 per day – Coronary Care Unit
§ $3594.00 per day– Intensive Care Unit
§ $442.50 per day – Long Stay
§ $581.00 per day– Rehabilitation
§ $702.00 Theatre Fees =< 1 hr
§ $1766.00 Theatre Fees > 1 hr
§ Pathology
§ Pharmaceuticals
§ Diagnostic Imaging
§ Prosthetic Fees
§ Consultant with RoPP: consults, surgical,
investigations and anaesthetics fee
Fees are subject to change for further information or assistance please contact:
Ineligible Patient Liaison Officer on XXXX
Surely the simple solution is to have it as a requirement of their Student Visas that foreign students have a mandated level of private health insurance. The details of that insurance should be held by immigration and when a foreign student is treated in a public hospital the bill could be forwarded directly to the insurance company for payment.
It is a condition of student visas that foreign students buy private health insurance. See http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/privatehealth-consumers-overseascover.htm
Outpatient costs corresponding to the Medicare Benefit Schedule should be covered, as are, according to the Dept of Health, inpatient services. The problem sounds more like a communication issue where the hospital has pounced on students, who think they need to pay upfront, instead of being able to send the bill to the insurance company.
My understanding was that all foreigners here on visa’s, including student visa’s, had to have private health insurance paid up in advance. I thought this also included effectively medicare level cover for non-hospital things like GP visits as well.
The one about international medical graduates not being medicare eligible is just rude.
I haven’t checked details lately but all overseas visitors have to pay health costs unless your country has some reciprocal arrangement with Oz. It’s no news.
Try getting a broken arm fixed while on holidays or at a conference in USA – you’ll have to sell the negative geared investment flat to pay for it.
If the bit about international medical graduates working in areas of need is true then it is just plain stupid.
…and this ‘Brisbane doctor’ is presumably spending their days seeing overseas students for nothing?
Eh?!
A few points of clarification might be needed.
This is my understanding:
All overseas students are required to have health insurance. None of them are free loading.
Until recently, public hospitals would treat overseas students and then bill the insurer.
Now, some public hospitals expect substantial upfront payments.
This is already having a noticeable impact.
Many students are from developing countries and can’t pay large upfront fees on the assurance that they should eventually be recoverable from an insurer. Patients are already avoiding hospitals. This could easily have tragic consequences sooner or later.
And no, the “brisbane doctor” doesn’t see overseas students for nothing. I charge their insurers so, in effect, they’re bulk billed.