8674 Outpatient charges

Urgent advice needed.
My Italian doctor has told me to get a couple of tests done at the hospital & gave me two requisition slips printed in red ink. I made appointments at a nearby hospital but was told there was a long wait for one test & the other could only be done at another hospital about a two hour drive away. Having heard from a neighbour about a very good nearby private hospital which admits state patients I checked them out & was given appointments for 1st & 3rd Feb. Trouble is I forgot to ask if I'd be charged more than the E35 &E11 that the state run hospitals wanted. I'd assumed that because I had the requisition slips from the doctor I'd be covered under the Italian state umbrella, in exactly the same; way but someone has planted a seed of doubt. I asked around, Brits & Italians, & the answers were inconclusive. Sure I don't mind paying a bit more but, considering these outpatient tests must be heavily subsidised by the state, I don't want to be handed a bill for hundreds of Euros purely to avoid a little delay & inconvenience.
So, will they charge me more?
Spose I should have posted this on another section of the forum but there was too much tumbleweed blowing about in it.
Pilch

Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 14:46

Hi Piltch, dont mean to sound obvious, but if the private hospital is so close by pop in and ask them, or if you booked your appointments in person, the print out they gave you should state the "ticket" price for the tests.
A

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 01/27/2008 - 15:35

I'd have to say that I wouldn't just assume that you are only going to have to pay the ticket price that you would have paid at the state hospital. My (Italian) partner was referred to a specialist at Pisa Hospital by his GP and went along paying just the ticket. She then made a follow up appointment with him but gave the address of her clinic to come to - with no mention of it being private or payment. When he attended this second appointment he was handed an invoice for a couple of hundred euros because she had seen him as a private patient. Much against his better judgement and because he was so taken aback he paid it but for the third appointment had to stress that he wanted to be seen in the hospital as the first time.

Also on another occasion he took his son to the outpatients in Calabria when we were there on holiday. The receptionist asked what was the matter and tried to direct us straight through to a specialist rather than registering him at A&E. Fortunately his brother-in-law was also there and instantly recognised a scam - basically the receptionist directs you straight through to a specialist without you being registered at A&E, the specialist charges you his private rates and gives a cut to the receptionist. When brother-in-law started to kick up a fuss he immediately registered him at A&E to be seen by a doctor there.

Unfortunately even Italians get caught out by this rather confusing part payment/part private healthcare system :veryconfused: I would certainly enquire further just so you don't end up with any unpleasant surprises.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 13:54

In the main if you attened the hospital you are likely to incur one of 2 prices, 16 ish and 32 ish euros, these cover anything from blood tests to MRI's.
I have to see my consultant on a semi regular basis, and have never been asked to pay per visit.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 15:47

Well folks, thanks for the help & advice. I had thought of phoning them but, although my Italian has been coming along quite well, I am still less inclined to practice it on the phone & favour face to face communication if at all possible.They can't see you smiling & waving your arms about on the phone. However it transpired that I had to go down to Citta Sant Angelo to Mondo Convenienza to rectify some mistakes they'd made in the design & order of a freind's kitchen. Between waiting for someone to become available & sorting out the probs it took three hours to get out of there. I'd intended going in there guns blazing but how can you give these sweet, attractive young girls they employ a hard time? Anyway, I digress. Went to Villa Serena, in & out in minutes, & the guy at appointments assured me that it was the same charges as anywhere else cos everywhere uses the same table of fixed prices. So there you go. From the horse's mouth. Still this is Italy and.............. although they've never heard of Murphy, his well known law is in constant use.
I might also add at this point that although I keep it no secret that I am not on holiday but now living here, so far, no-one has said no to my NHS card. Hope it continues.
Pilch