How to pay for your treatment
Self-paying patients
In this case you will either be given a fixed cost price for a procedure which must be paid before treatment starts, or you will be asked to supply a deposit based on the estimated cost of your treatment.
Payment is usually required prior to admission but details of how to pay will be outlined in a letter to you prior to your admission. Your hospital bill can be settled by cash, cheque, major credit card or by direct transfer to the hospital's bank account. Cheques should be made payable to Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The estimate is based on the likely treatment charge for the specified procedure and includes the following.
Accommodation per night/day for the estimated length of stay
This can vary according to the nature of the intended procedure and each individual patient's needs. Any reduction in length of stay on an estimate will be credited when the final bill is presented. Any extra nights will be charged at the standard tariff rate on which the estimate is based.
Estimated cost of treatment
For quotations and prices for self-pay patients, please contact the Divisional / Directorate Private Patient Co-ordinator.
Many patients choose to pay for themselves and this is usually done by building society cheque, banker's draft or credit card.
You may be asked for staged payments to cover future costs. Please note however this may not apply to all services, please contact your private patient administrator/manager to clarify.
This could include:
- theatre costs
- tests
- investigations
- physiotherapy etc.
based on the usual charges associated with the planned procedure: it does not include any prosthesis costs, or the consultants' professional fees, which will be charged separately.
Any other charges above the estimated price given will be invoiced after discharge for payment in full. Similarly, any overcharging will be paid back to you.
Insured patients
It is essential that you contact your medical insurer prior to your admission to ensure that you are fully covered for the intended procedure and anticipated length of stay in hospital. It is important that you bring your insurance registration details and a claim form on your first admission.
Your insurance company will advise you if there are any aspects of your care which they will not pay for. Please make sure that you are aware of any excess payments, exclusions or shortfalls on your policy, as you will become personally liable for these costs once treatment has been provided.
Pre-authorisation from your insurance company is required for each admission. Although the Trust may check that appropriate authorisation has been obtained prior to your admission, it is your responsibility to make sure that this is done. A phone call to your insurance helpline can clarify this. During your admission, the Trust will help ensure that ongoing cover is obtained where appropriate.
On or prior to admission, you will be asked to read and sign a private patient agreement.
The hospital invoice will be raised after your discharge and sent directly to your insurance company, provided we have had the appropriate information and authorisation.
A separate invoice will be raised for items not covered by your insurance policy, such as telephone calls. This will be sent to you.
If you are prescribed any drugs on discharge, you will need to pay for these at the pharmacy as these are not covered by medical insurance. Please note that NHS exemption certificates are not valid for private patient prescriptions.
A separate invoice will normally be sent to you by your consultant and anaesthetist to cover their professional fees (although we are now encouraging our consultants to submit their costs through the Private Patient Unit to present you with a single invoice). These/this should be forwarded to your insurance company.