Santo António Hospital, Porto
Porto, Gaia/Espinho and Almada/Seixal were targets of processes by the health regulatory entity.
The local health unit of Santo António (Porto), the local health unit of Gaia/Thorn and the hospital Garcia de Orta (ULS ALMADA SEXAL) are targets of process of offense.
The processes were established by the Health Regulatory Entity (ERS) due to moderating rates Applied by these three hospitals, informs the.
In Portugal, the moderating rate should only be charged when the user goes to the urgency without being referenced – and if he is not hospitalized. These three NHS hospitals charged fees even when it didn’t happen.
One of the cases happened at the Northern Maternal and Child Center (Cmin), in St. Anthony. A user went to the urgency because it was referenced by the doctor; A invoice of 18 euros. “What is not revealed of all legally admissible is that, having the use of the urgent service was motivated by the reasons stated above, the CMM has, after all, charged to the user the amount corresponding to a moderate rate by an alleged episode of urgency,” says ERS.
Another case happened in ULS Gaia-Espinho: two emergency episodes were charged, when the user was only there due to medical indication. Also 18 euros for each trip, 36 euros Not total.
ULS ALMADA SEixal is repeatant in this case. It has sent users a “invoice simulation” of costs – which should be charged to insurers. In a case at Garcia de Orta, a user received a simulation of billing 123 euros (which was then corrected to 20 euros after complaint).
ERS, in addition to establishing processes, instructed hospitals to “respect” the legal regime of moderating rates.
