A patient at Mercy Hospital feels he has been charged ‘‘creatively’’ for an operation.
Roger Farrow, of Arrowtown, a graduate of the Dunedin medical school, said his refusal to pay his bill of more than $7000 to Mercy for his operation earlier this month until he heard from Inland Revenue about its opinion on Mercy’s use of GST, was an issue of principle.
‘‘They were charging me for things as soon as I walked through the door.’’
Dr Farrow said he acknowledged private hospitals such as Mercy were within their rights to charge what they wanted, but said some of the billing felt overdone and ludicrous.
‘‘Are they seriously suggesting that operating theatre lights, theatre operating table and air circulation/filtration systems only exist or function when a patient pays for them?
‘‘And do you indeed charge every patient for these services and through the same second by second, minute by minute fees?’’
He had no complaints about the procedure itself – just the cost of it, which he suspected was close to being ‘‘double counted’’.
‘‘There was an ‘instrument sterilisation and processing fee’ of $253.91. Have you ever been to a restaurant where you were charged a fee for them providing clean cutlery and washing it afterwards?’’
Dr Farrow believed if he did not stand up for himself, then other patients would receive similar billing.
‘‘I’m sure I’m not the only one.’’
He said Mercy Hospital had loaded him up with so many costs with little explanation for each of them.
‘‘To me, in retrospect, it felt like being a sheep being drenched with no way to object to the enforced procedure.’’
He also took issue with a procedure in theatre – he paid for an 85-minute session at 50 cents a second.
‘‘Of course the ‘creative’ billing practices of the not-for profit Mercy private hospital in Dunedin are not limited to this entity alone. They are widespread within the private healthcare system.’’
The Otago Daily Times approached Mercy Hospital for a response.
A spokesman said: ‘‘Mercy does not make media comments on individual patient matters, clinical or otherwise. I trust you will respect Mercy’s position.’’
Mercy Hospital, which was established in 1936 as a not-for-profit, employs more than 280 staff who cover a range of care over its 10 operating theatres.
The hospital has 67 overnight beds and day-care facilities.
The board and its shareholder, Whānau Mercy Ministries Trust, announced last month it was in ‘‘advanced talks’’ for a possible sale.
The board has not indicated what sort of buyer it is looking for, other than that they respect the hospital’s service in Dunedin over many years.