Royal Adelaide Hospital cuts free entertainment for private patients – despite getting $624 a night from their health funds
The Royal Adelaide Hospital has stopped giving private patients free TV, newspapers, internet and phone calls – despite getting $624 a night from their health funds.
SA News
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The Royal Adelaide Hospital has cut perks for privately insured patients including free-to-air TV – but is still charging health funds full costs – in what one patient’s family described as penny-pinching stinginess.
Until recently the RAH was advertising the likes of free newspapers, free TV – including movies and free-to-air channels – free internet, and free local phone calls, for patients with private health fund insurance.
It has now scrapped all these while continuing to bill health funds. The gazetted rate to charge insurers is $624 a night in a private room.
The only advertised advantage for patients who agree to enter as private patients now is: “No private health insurance co-payments or excesses”, although it does add that income from health fund helps to improve hospital facilities.
The change, which may discourage people entering as private patients, is at odds with the KordaMentha report aimed at reeling in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network’s (CALHN) ballooning budget deficit which recommended maximising private patient revenue to $16 million a year.
It is also only being made at the RAH, with hospitals such as Lyell McEwin and Flinders Medical Centre continuing to offer free TV including movie channels, internet, local phone calls, newspapers and choice of doctor.
RAH private patients now have the same option as public patients – prepaying for an entertainment package with TV, movies, radio and internet on their bedside device, priced from $6.50 an hour to $13.75 a day, $45 for five days, $220 a month, plus $20 for prepaid telephone calls (no charge for incoming calls).
CALHN executive director of operations Bronwyn Masters said private patients receive “a number of benefits including their choice of consultant”.
“Recent changes made regarding other benefits for private patients are currently under review,” she said.
Sharon Griffiths of Moana was disappointed to learn of the change when husband Paul was admitted as a private patient for four nights for a bone marrow issue last week.
“I queried it and was told they don’t want private patients in a public hospital,” she said. “Our fund was charged but was not aware of the change.
“It seems a bit stingy as the cost of some TV and a newspaper while you are lying in hospital can’t be that much when they are charging the health funds.
“It may make you think you might as well drop private cover if they are going to be so penny-pinching.”
Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said patients with health funds had little reason to go in as private patients “when they won’t even get to watch free-to-air TV for free”.
“This penny pinching of newspapers, free TV channels, internet and local phone calls comes at the same time the Government wants to rake in $16 million more from private patients,” he said.
“If people decide not to use their private health insurance because of this penny-pinching, that could be a big hit on revenue for the state.
“People are paying through their insurance and if they’re not going to get anything different then why would they bother?”