Fred and Beryl Coleman shocked with Flinders Medical Centre bill on frail pensioners who linger too long in hospital
Public hospitals are free unless a doctor deems you to be a “nursing home type patient” – as Fred and Beryl Coleman, aged 90 and 80, discovered to their great cost.
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A pensioner couple were “gobsmacked” to unexpectedly receive an accommodation bill for $1113 after Fred Coleman, 90, was taken to Flinders Medical Centre then contracted Covid while in care.
His wife Beryl, 80, was shocked but scrambled to find the money for fear “they would send the debt collectors after us.”
She was unaware of the charge and predicted it would alarm other unsuspecting pensioners in a similar position.
Mr Coleman was hit with the $74.20 a day charge for 15 days after officials assessed him as a “nursing home type patient” taking up an acute care bed, despite previously living in the family home at Hackham West and suffering medical setbacks while in care at FMC.
Mrs Coleman said: “We were not aware there was any charge and we are on the old age pension, we were gobsmacked.”
“It is despicable. I’m sure many other age pensioners would be shocked to learn they may face such bills from public hospitals.”
Mr Coleman was taken to Calvary Hospital by ambulance as a public patient after falling in the backyard and breaking his hip on November 1 last year.
A fortnight later he went to Onkaparinga Lodge for respite, then on December 12 moved to the ViTA Rehabilitation Centre at the Repat Precinct.
The next day he suffered a serious drop in blood pressure and was taken by ambulance to FMC where doctors found an infection in his bladder, then blood clots in his lungs.
On December 20 he tested positive for Covid and was put in an isolation ward.
He was discharged on January 23, moving to respite care – then received the SA Health bill for $1113 which states the charge “refers to a patient who has been classified as a ‘Nursing Home’ type patient.”
“A Long Stay ‘Nursing Home’ type patient is any patient whose cumulative length of stay is longer than 35 days and who has been assessed by medical staff as no longer needing acute medical care,” it states.
Southern Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Kerrie Freeman apologised to the Colemans for any confusion and stressed there is no charge to receive public hospital care at FMC.
“However, when people are fit for discharge and continue to stay in hospital they are charged a daily fee, adjusted for individual financial circumstances,” she said.
“This is consistent with national guidelines for non-Medicare and Long Stay Nursing Home Patient Fees. These arrangements have been in place for two decades.
“The guidelines state if a doctor determines a patient is non-acute and becomes a long stay, nursing home type, a patient contribution charge applies from the 36th day of their admission onward, payable by the patient.
“As part of the standard hospital process, patients and/or their families are informed of any additional charges before they take effect.”
SA Health’s website states the charge represents 87.5 per cent of the single standard pension benefit plus rent assistance, which now stands at $74.20 a day.
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Originally published as Fred and Beryl Coleman shocked with Flinders Medical Centre bill on frail pensioners who linger too long in hospital
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