HOSPITAL FEES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10881, 22 April 1921, Page 5

HOSPITAL FEES

POSITION IN WELLINGTON. JIVGE SUM OUTSTANDING. THE PERCENTAGE COLLECTED. At yesterday’s meeting of the Wellington Hospital Hoard the secretary Ofr I. Coyle) presented a report respecting patients* rn niw ar-ce fees. He said that in the departmental report for the year 19194920, the percentage of patients’ maintenance fees collected is shown as 13.3 per cent, of the total fees collectable. The figures upon which this computation waa based wow as follows: Fees oatstanding on March 31st, 1919 £51,057 Fees receivable daring the year 1919-1920 £34,591 £85,648 _“I desire to _ point out,” he con-* turned, “that this percentage does nut discioso the'true position. It must he born in mind that every patient treated in the Wellington Hospital is liable for aad is charged the full fee, whether such patient comes from a' benevolent institution, asylum, or orphanage, or is a cliaruable aid recipient or an old age pensioner. Furthermore an important factor which most he taken into consideration is tho large number of permanent .cases under treatment. At the Victoria Hospital for chronic invalids there are over forty patients, some of them having been there for over ten yearn; twenty-six cases in the Ewart Hospital for chronic consumptives; 21 cases of infantile sis (half of this number have been here far five years), and in addition there are a number of chronic patients in the general hospital. These cases are for the most part quite unable to contribute anything towards payment of their maintenance fees excepting old age pensioners—and their contribution amounts to a little over a quarter of the fee charged. FEES COLLECTED IN WELLINGTON. “From the foregoing it will be seen that the outstanding amount of £51,057 operates unfairly in arriving at the percentage of collections for it includes the accrued fees year aftor vear of these chronic cases. Also the fees receivable for tho veer (£34,591) includes roughly £SOOO charged to these permanent patients. A return was submitted .of the collection of the Wellington' Hospital fees for the past five years showing an average of 32.28 per cent., and the secretary continued: —“My board has bo arrangement with any friendly society or other organiaation for charging reduced rates, and no account is remitted or written off without being placed before the Finance and Policy Committee for consideration. “With regard to patients from otbeT hospital districts, there is no reciprocal arrangement between my board and other hospital boards. Other boards are advised of the admission of a patient from their respective district* and they in turn notify üb, but for the most part payment of these necoouts is neither made nor received. Patient* from outside districts coming for special treatment, have their maintenance guaranteed bv the board concerned. who invariable meet the obligation. It is almost impossible in the rase of patients coming from the larger centre* to prove the two years? statutory period of residence, and Wellington being the capital city and a seaport, attracts necmln who have no permanent place of abode.”