Cancer patients face intimidation from debt collectors over treatment fees, says group

Debt collection agencies are pursuing cancer patients in an intentionally intimidating way over outstanding bills for treatment, according to the Irish Cancer Society.

The HSE needs to re-examine the use of debt collection agencies for cancer patients, said the society’s head of advocacy Rachel Morrogh.

Ms Morrogh urged the Department of Health to advise the HSE about best practice when it comes to pursuing cancer patients for payment for their treatment.

She told Newstalk radio that cancer patients were receiving letters and phone calls post treatment that “were designed to intimidate”.

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Cancer patients needed to be able to focus on their treatment, she said. It was not that they did not want to pay, but with everything else that was going on in their life during treatment, it could have slipped their minds, she said.

Communications demanding payment could cause “untold damage” during what was already a difficult time physically, psychologically and emotionally, she said.

Cancer patients without a medical card or private health insurance must pay €80 for each treatment session, up to a maximum of €800 a year. Ms Morrogh said that in Ireland there are 1.25 million people who have neither a medical card, nor private health insurance.

Hospitals use debt collection agencies if the invoice sent to patients is not paid within 47 days, she said.

Ms Morrogh said the HSE had pointed out that it does not make policy, it just has to implement the National Financial Regulations as a framework for the collection of charges in acute hospitals.

The Department of Health has said it was incumbent on the HSE to take all reasonable steps to pursue amounts owed for services delivered, but that it had not issued guidance to the HSE on how they collect charges from very ill patients.

Ms Morrogh said the Irish Cancer Society had been calling for some time for medical cards for cancer patients.

For anyone facing financial difficulties as a result of their cancer treatment, she encouraged them to seek out the financial manager in their hospital to discuss phased payments or to contact the Irish Cancer Society – “we will help you”.

Cancer fees should be abolished, she said. Cancer patients should be able to focus on their treatment, such vulnerable patients should not have to deal with communications from debt collection agencies, added Ms Morrogh.