Paul Murphy: Condemns Hospital Charges and Debt Collection
Paul Murphy criticised hospital charges, parking fees and the HSE's use of debt collectors, calling them regressive and a consequence of years of underfunding and neoliberal management. He urged the abolition of inpatient and emergency charges, cancellation of related debts, an end to HSE debt collection practices and voiced support for the Social Democrats' motion.
Key criticisms of the two-tier system
He said the dysfunctional two-tier health system is structural, not accidental, and results from years of underfunding, cuts and privatisation from below. He argued neoliberal management extracts money from people via charges for treatment and hospital parking, compounding inequality.
Debt collectors and patient distress
He highlighted that debt collectors are being used to pursue hospital charges and cited the Irish Cancer Society's report of distress caused to patients. He referenced a case reported in the Irish Examiner of a breast cancer patient who received a bill after surgery and described the HSE's use of collectors as scandalous.
Spending on collection and estimated costs
He noted a report that the HSE spent more than 568,168,000 euros on debt collectors during the pandemic. He said his proposals in a budget statement called for abolition of all inpatient and emergency department charges for public patients and cited an estimated cost from a PQ of 20 million euros.
Parking charges and revenue raised
He criticised hospital car parking charges, noting a promised 10 euro per day cap has not been implemented and that some sites charge up to 15 euros a day. He said the HSE generates around 12 million euros per annum from parking and pointed out parking was abolished at St Vincent's and in parts of Scotland and Wales.
Policy proposals and final position
He reiterated support for a universal single-tier national health service free at the point of use funded by progressive taxation and said removal of charges is in line with Sláintecare recommendations. He called for immediate cessation of HSE use of debt collection agencies, cancellation of related debts and concluded by backing the Social Democrats' motion.
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and thanks a lot to the Social Democrats for bringing forward this motion which highlights more aspects of the dysfunctional two-tier health system that exists in a permanent state of crisis and the problems in healthcare on this island are not accidental they're not personnel they are structural problems they're consequences of years of underfunding of our public health system of cuts of privatization from below and of neoliberal management and that neoliberal management seeks every opportunity and it's demonstrated by the debate today every opportunity to extract money from people even from something as essential as healthcare needs through the application of charges for treatment the charges for parking in hospitals and then to add insult to injury debt collectors are brought in on the act to extract their cut from ordinary people's requirement for healthcare we called in our budget statement for the abolition of all inpatient and emergency department charges for public patients the estimated cost from a pq for that is 20 million euros as part of our proposals for a universal single tier national health service free at the point of use funded by progressive taxation the removal of charges is also a slanticaire recommendation but the charges nonetheless remain deeply regressive morally bankrupt they should go but the HSE doubles down on the inequity of these charges with patients pursued by debt collectors for unpaid charges Rachel Murrow the director of advocacy and external affairs at the irish cancer society recently said the irish cancer society has heard from patients about the distress and anxiety that contact from a debt collection agency chasing payment for hospital charges brings understandably so the worries and fears that are naturally brought on by our cancer diagnosis are compounded by this practice and we want it to end an irish examiner report in december told of jean cogevin who was diagnosed at 48 with breast cancer she said a death letter followed her out of the hospital after her surgery to remove a tumour quote as soon as soon as i went home the bill followed you out from the hospital whatever it was two three nights i stayed they billed me up to 240 euros in inpatient charges as a newly diagnosed cancer patient you're so angry and your entire existence is all over the place and you have people chasing you for money scandalous we also learned from the irish independent recently that the HSE spent more than 568 168 000 euros on debt collectors to pursue patients for unpaid hospital bills during the pandemic charges for hospital care are regressive they're immoral the HSE must immediately end the use of debt collection agencies to pursue outstanding charges and all related debts should be cancelled also want to refer to the issue of i also want to refer to the issue of i also want to refer to the issue of parking charges where it's over three years since a 10 euro per day cap on parking at hospitals was promised fianna fall went further they promised free parking but this regressive tax on ordinary people and sick people sick people's relatives and friends faced with inadequate public transport infrastructure remains in place according to the irish independent in early january the HSE generate generates 12 million euros per annum from car parking charges it can be 15 euros a day in james's on the matter in 1450 at saint vincent's hospital parking charges were abolished in recent years in scotland and wales and they should be abolished here it is time for the government to stop charging for essential health care to stop charging for transport to access to it to stop harassing cancer patients and others with debt collectors they have more than enough to be dealing with and so we support the motion and thank the social democrats for bringing it forward we support
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