Hospital patients to be told cost of services
Significant progress has been made on the creation of a system whereby patients at Mater Dei Hospital will be told how much services given to them cost, Social Policy Minister John Dalli said this afternoon.
He stressed that this did not mean that patients would be charged for services.
He said that over the past year, services at Mater Dei Hospital had been costed. This, he said, would be a measure to make the people more aware of the cost of healthcare and how much they were paying for it, as taxpayers.
Mr Dalli said sustainability and real access to health services were the key to health policies. Long waiting lists were an injustice he said and the government was addressing them.
He stressed that government and opposition needed to work together, away from political considerations. Politicians could not continue to make wild promises when they were hard pressed to continue to provide what already existed.
He noted that a sustainability analysis of health services in Malta showed a sustainability gap equivalent to 7 per cent of GDP.
The challenge for everyone was to give the best service, fully accessible to everyone, while ensuring sustainability.
At the beginning of his speech, in Parliament during the Budget debate, Mr Dalli thanked all those who had congratulated him on his nomination to the European Commission. He recalled his service in the House of Representatives and said that despite the highs and the lows, were it possible, he would do it again, because there was nothing more satisfying than to lead reforms which the country needed and which the people were now appreciating.
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Claire Busuttil
Nov 26th 2009, 19:08
@Moses Mula, - thallat lil Malta ma Sweden, fejn il poplu ihallas hafna taxxi, imma ikun moqdi sew, u kif xieraq, ma Malta fejn il poplu ihallas t taxxi(, dejjem b`pagi baxxi )u ma jarax r risultat ta dan, nahseb hi naqa esagerata bhala tqabila.
k.Abela
Nov 26th 2009, 19:00
Ehhh! will the department also tell me ow much in social services and taxes i have paid during these last 30 years????
Fenech M D
Nov 26th 2009, 17:51
@ Doris Grixti
You baffle me!
All foreigners pay for the services they use at Mater Dei unless they are members of the EU.
I cannot fathom why the Minister is wasting hospital's staff energy and time to do this exercise, which is pointless unless he has something else in mind (such as payment in the near future).
Their time and energy is better used to shorten the endless list of people waiting to be admitted for various operations and appointments.
Doris Grixti
Nov 26th 2009, 15:39
Some of the comments baffle me ... this is a great exercise by minister dalli and most of you have no idea what you are talking about.
One of the benefits of this exercise will mean that any foreigner who uses our health system will FINALLY be provided with a bill which he will then have to pay. This costs the country a lot of money.
This exercise will also make our doctors and consultants more aware of the money they spend on tests done at the hospital, Sure tests must be carried out but in many cases tests are done more than necessary just coz they are "free" ...
This exercise will save a lot of money and help make this sector sustainable but many of you are too blinded by political agendas to realise.
Congratulations to Mr Dalli.
A.Kitney
Nov 26th 2009, 13:28
@ Moses Mula
Don't comment about things that you know nothing about!!!!!. You live in Sweden so you cannot know what we in Malta are going through !! Also you are a student 2nd reason why you do not know what you are talking about. Check the euro barometer and where taxes are involved we are always near or on top as the highest taxed people in Europe!!! So do not try to portray something that you do not touch and feel every day or trying to be an expert from somewhere else! That is why we nag about things like this ! We have wages which are almost frozen in time!! and cost of living going up faster than ever !!! What do you expect us to do be happy???????
Even when the Government rises our wages they are not enough because on every euro we get we pay tax on it so it is not enough!!!!! Our overtime is taxable also. Or maybe you know better from Sweden about Malta ?? (No offense to Sweden )
S Keyes
Nov 26th 2009, 11:17
As always on here people are going to complain about everything. I think its a great idea, allowing people to see what the cost of a stay in hospital. If it was me I would also charge 50cents per prescription to stop all the freeloaders. Maybe seeing the cost people will think twice about going to Hospital for every miner ailment they have that a local Doctor or pharmacist can help with!
Christopher Debattista
Nov 26th 2009, 09:59
Taf x'jonqos, li jigi privatizzat l-isptar :S u issa mbilli tghidli l-ispejjes involuti - kollha aljenazjoni din tal-mohh. Kollha prezunzjoni ! U jekk se taplika sistema bhal dik, ghaliex ma taplikahx ghal ministeri u dipartimenti kollha tal-gvern halli nikfxu il-borom ! M'hemmx kontrol u pjannar u issa sibtu skuza tajba biex taghattu l-izbalji taghkhom u (Nispera li le) taghmlu l-ewwel pass biex is-sahha ma tibqax bxejn. M'hemmx justifikazjoni u skuzi ! It-Taxxa saret 18% min 15% ghal dak l-iskop. Ghaliex ma turux kemm min dak it- 3% tat-taxxi qedt jmur ghas-sahha ?
alfred zammit
Nov 26th 2009, 09:56
I would like to point out to all making comments that all the nation has aright for a decent life.The government is trying to do just that.Everybody however has to do his share by not cheating and this is a big problem as everybody is looking for a way to avoid paying taxes and expect everything free.Iwould love that!!!!Some refer to the illegal immigrants utilising our resources without having contributed towards them,Iagree it s unfair but what do you exoect the authorities to do?Let them die,get sick and spread their disease?WE have alot of injustices which we bring on ourselves by avoiding to do our bit.However the authorities and all political parties have to work together to solve these problems not just put spokes in the wheels as come tomorrow if their is a change of government it would be to late.
Mike Magri
Nov 26th 2009, 09:25
Oh Yessss Sir Mr Minister.... This IS your SECOND step towards a payment scheme for the health services by the government... Remember your FIRST step Sir..!!??!!?? The one that goes.. "..Din irridu naqtghuha ta kollox bxejn, ghax Xejn mhu B`Xejn..."...!!!
Maybe each one of us receiving such `bill`, should also tell the Minister how much Social Security Contributions we pay monthly too..!! Which incidently is calculated at 10% of the Gross Wages by the Employee and another 10% by the Employer...
It`s the management of our taxes that is, and always was, the problem by every PN Government we had, since 1987..!! Remember .. "..Money No Problem.. ", " ..lm10 miljuni l`hemm u lm10 miljuni l`hawn, X`HINUMA..", by Eddy Fenech Adami.." and ".. Id-Dejn ihalsuh Uliedna u Wlied Uliedna..." by George Bonello DuPui..!!!!!
Ahhh Mr Minister.... Li Tizra` Tahsad Habib....!!!!!!!!
Muscat Pat
Nov 26th 2009, 09:24
It is not that the Maltese who are getting "too sick" are breaking the camel's back, but the unaccountability of the Ministers, and the money no problem syndrome of yesteryear. An 80 million lira here, a thirteen million there, an deficit off shoot by 80 million everywhere; this is where the Minister have to shoot. Why do you want to teach the sick patient to be accountable when the Ministers break "their " own code of ethics, and could not give a hoot about accountability of millions of monies? Yes, before you accuse me, dear Government, take a good look at yourself!
Moses Mula/Sweden
Nov 25th 2009, 20:25
@Daniel Farrugia, fact is you are not paying for my healthcare as I moved to Sweden 10 years ago but my girlfriend is. Anyways we have been living together since I moved to Sweden so its all in the family.@A.Kitney, I am a student and even if my girlfriend works full time, she never whines for a second about taxes.
@John Micallef you actually have a point. The Swedeish goverment gives me more value for those five years when I paid taxes and the years when I will get back to work after my studies. A good example is all the services given to my 10 year old daughter who is autistic, like free spcial school, free habilitation and other stuff. So yes, I admit that in Malta you do not get the right value for your taxes, but on the other hand taxes still provide give you something back, even in Malta. Besides taxes are also a means to help the weak, who also form part of a country and without taxes they would be the first ones to suffer.
A.Kitney
Nov 25th 2009, 18:51
@ Joseph E Briffa
1 Yes we do pay taxes as I am living proof of it!
2 Yes the bank does give you a bank loan after I sacrificed almost 15 years of my life getting the initial amount to get the bank loan!
3 I do not live in a luxurius flat , but a small compact 2 bed roomed flat and no garage.
4 Tell my boss not to minus my wages due to the fact that I have always a big difference from gross wages to net!!!
5 do you pay tax for bread??? other food or item which are necessary? Because if you don't tell me and I will surly buy from where you are buying!!!
6 Do you pay a surcharge when the electricity bill comes???? Surcharges are Taxes too!!!
7 Do you pay a fee when you need your birth certificate???? According to me any fee payable to government is a TAX !!!!
My friend please do not tell me about taxes and what I am or not paying because as you can see I DO PAY MY TAXES !!!!
marthese mussett
Nov 25th 2009, 17:45
@ f.vincenti. I totally agree with you.Nobody likes going to hospital,nobody likes being operated,or have a drip stuck in their arm.My husband works hard,I used to work and pay taxes too,even when I had a part time job of sixteen hours a week.So am I supposed to have a bill thrown in my face if I go for a two day stay to give birth?How much do the ministers spend on petrol and diesel and chauffer driven cars?And how much is spent on free syringes to drug addicts,every month?I That s what I d like to know.
Joseph E Briffa
Nov 25th 2009, 13:10
A Kitney...Minimum wage earners are not taxable..Minimum wage earners can't afford to take out bank loans to purchase property..Minimum wage earners don't earn a higher wage because they do not have any qualifications...minimum wage earners had their opportunity to obtain qualifications and therefore a better wage, but they gave it away and just wasted people's taxes for a free education system ...minimum wage earners are propped up by higher income earners who pay their taxes and therefore enable unqualified people to earn a minimum wage and are thus able to subsist and to enjoy 'free' health services to which they hardly make any contribution
f vincenti
Nov 25th 2009, 11:18
Can the government also please be transparent enough to show the public the cost for all medical services (in-patient, out-patient, emergency or other) for;
a) all illegal immigrants in Malta
b) all legalised but non-working/non-tax contributing immigrants
Are not the above being treated ''free of charge'' at the cost of the maltese tax payer?
If you're going to tell educate people on how much it cost us to pull out a tooth, then we would like to know how many teeth we're pulling
Joseph Borg
Nov 25th 2009, 09:20
With all due respect...this is a non sense initiative by the govt....unless...there is something behind it! If people go to hospitals(apart from a few hundreds that attend A&E for small things) they go there cause they need to, most oftenly they are referred for admission by their own GP or admitted through the emergency. You cant be admitted to the hospital if you don't need to.... you don't get medicine if it is not indicated ...so again what is the use to give the patients "a bill"? I think these "Bills" should be given to the employees so that they will realise that resorses should not be wasted and that only necessary investigations are done. A small example...every pt that is admitted to hospital through the A and E...whether it is just a headache or a heart attack ...they take an ECG, a Chest Xray a Haemoglucotest(even if you are not diabetic) and various Lab test including coagulation test which is only indicated for people taking anti-coagulants and in other few specific cases. Pts DONT decide what tests they need but Doctors do so the employees should see that they dont waste OUR resources and not d pts
daniel farrugia
Nov 25th 2009, 08:53
@ MOSES
nobody is nagging about paying taxes but everybody is arguing the fact that we are paying the taxes for something. one of the things is the free health care!! as i understood you do not pay taxes since you're still in uni, so we are paying for you're healthcare and now we are paying new workers who are issuing the cost of your service as well!!
J Farrugia
Nov 25th 2009, 08:25
@ rhuber- Yes off course you do us a favour and a favour without any cost - YOU KILL US with PASSIVE SMOKING. Shame on you and the likes of you. Yes the Government should keep a statistic how much it costs to deal with all the illnesses smoking (both active and passive) is costing the people of Malta. No wonder lately the cigarette manufacturing magnate Philips had to part will I dont know how many millions of dollars to one person who suffered through smoking. keep on belching smoke to kill your own and your neighbours.
A. Mizzi
Nov 25th 2009, 06:25
And the taxpayers want to how much much would a hospital lke Mater Dei come to cost today and what in fact it did cost the taxpayer from day one to completion.
Maybe taxpayers could also be provided with informaion on the amount of tax, vat, and other taxes paid throughout their life and provide the information upon arrival at Mater Dei .........
A.Kitney
Nov 24th 2009, 23:26
@ Moses Mula
Do you really live in Malta?? Do you really know how to live and supply your family on minimum wage?? I Do!!! I have been doing it for years and when the Government raises taxes it is out of that minimum wage that it is coming out !!! and when the Government is telling me if something happens to me or my family, I will receive a receipt of what I should of paid then yes I will Nag or complain !!! Each euro taken out of people like us, it is taking out of our food, clothes, bank loans etc.... So yes (as we are almost the highest tax paying people in Europe) we moan Nag etc.... People like you do not know the meaning of taxation from wages especially minimum wage people .
Would you like to pay for something and when you go to get it you get asked to pay again?
Think about it!
Joseph E Briffa
Nov 24th 2009, 23:06
Some bloggers seem to live on another planet. Nobody likes to pay taxes; but unless we all do, no adminstration will be able to offer any service. Where would the adminstration get the money from, if not from taxes? Is this so difficult to understand? Before anybody in his right senses embarks on a project, he calculates the initial capital outlay, the amortisation of loans to fund the project, as well as the running costs, to determine the production costs; then he calculates the projected income, and finally decides whether the project is viable. Government administrations do the same type of exercise but, in the case of essential services like health, governments might prefer to offer a service without directly charging the people for such a service. But then the government has to collect revenue from other sources, like income tax, VAT, tax on alcohol and tobacco etc. Otherwise where would the money come from? The alternative is to charge for health services and reduce taxes. But, isn't it more equitable to collect taxes some direct, some indirect and offer a free health service?
john micallef
Nov 24th 2009, 22:03
@ moses mula.
you really hit the nail on the head. My self im ready to pay more tax, as long as our government give me a value for money like the Swedish government.
Were he gives me a country were really 'Kollox jimxi fuq ir- rubini' Fej issuq rota u tara ir- rotta tieghek, mhux li taqa f'xi hofra. Fej meta tmur tinqeda fdipartiment jilqawk civilment, mhux ta inuman!! Qed jghamlulek pjacir iharsu lejk!!
If you are happy up to you my friend, but i hope you are not the only Maltese saying we are getting value for money!! As nowadays, PM Gonzi has people in his cabinet that are not satisfied, figure out the ordinary people!!
Moses Mula
Nov 24th 2009, 20:41
God how much some maltese people nag about taxes. Grow up and realize that without taxes a country does not function. I learned this when I was still a kid, but some grownups still think that a prime minister and his cabinet plus the E.U. should provide instead. What about the swedes who not only have higher taxes but part of those taxes go to countries like Malta, and do not even nag about it? You can always stop working so you do not have to pay taxes. My Italian teacher at university told me today that there are no bigger whiners in Europe than his fellow Italians. I had to correct him and tell him that my fellow Maltese are worse. These kind of comments only go to prove my point. Btw, I agree with the goverments decision.
Peter Murray
Nov 24th 2009, 20:29
What a delightful Dalli legacy he is leaving us with and how much will this costing - service exercise cost the taxpayer? Why marginalise the health service and why not apprise the taxpayer with the costs incurred for all services paid for from the public purse-including the Rt.Honourable gentleman's in question?What absolute nonsense and we would be far better served with more nursing staff than incur costs to find out how much thingd cost us.Lord help and protect us from such pomposity.
Janet Bayes
Nov 24th 2009, 19:19
Oh my goodness. So now we have found employment for someone to sit in an office and tally the cost of treatment for individuals. So how many people are now going to know who had what treatment, when, and how much it would have cost the country? Best of all, how much is this person/s being paid to collate this info, where is this money coming from, and how much treatment could that have paid for?
Greig Watts
Nov 24th 2009, 19:18
What are they trying to do? if one pays for their health care, it doesn't matter how much such treatment cost, it only matters to the auditors and not the patient, we are all entitled to the health system, take a leaf from the UK system N>H>S> its the Best in the World, and this is why most of us travel back home for treatment.
EDWIN PORTELLI
Nov 24th 2009, 18:49
BETTER CALCULATE THE LONG HOURS YOU WAIT FOR EMERGENCY OR THE LONG LIST FOR AN OPERATION !!!
Leah Micallef
Nov 24th 2009, 18:34
The current debate going on in America has made me appreciate what a gift we have in universal healthcare. You cannot put a price on people's health or lives. Yes we all have to pay taxes but at the end of the day we are all entitled to equal treatment. Mater Dei is a beautiful hospital
rhuber
Nov 24th 2009, 18:31
@ J Farrugia
We smokers are now fed up with comments such as yours. If we did not smoke you had to put your hand in your pocket every time you needed Government health assistance. If we stop smoking the health service would collapse and not save money for we pay almost three Euro on every packet of cigarettes we buy which is supposed to go towards your health services, at least that is what we are always told in every budget.
It would be a good idea if the Government was to keep a statistic of what it makes out of cigarettes and the cost of health services related to smoking.
Hopefully, if such statistics are kept I hope that these are published and you will see that we smokers do you a favour and not cost you money.
J Farrugia
Nov 24th 2009, 18:13
@ Christian Azzopardi, if you have any doubts about how the millions of euros are being spent, all you have to do is
a) ask the Public Accounts Committee , which is presided by Labour MP Charles Mangion to investigate your claims,
b) Ask your local MP to table a parliamentary Question to the Minister responsible;
c) Make a written request to the Commission against Corruption to investigate your claims (they have to be founded on solid ground);
What more do you need? There was never an open government which is open to transparency in the people's money, like the PN Government. Not even under Labour.
Just dont throw stones and say that everyone is corrupt. Since that even includes the Opposition Labour Party. And if all this is to no avail to you, the real pathetic person will be just only you who chickens out of such a challenge.
E Gatt
Nov 24th 2009, 17:28
I am not a psychologist, but I am sure that there is a term for people who insist on being shielded from the truth and who feel it is their right not to be treated as adults.
I think this would be an excellent move. People should be grateful to other taxpayers for paying for their healthcare. It should allow conscientious people to try and minimise costs if possible, or if they feel that they could afford to, pay for some of the costs themselves (example buying their own medicine), or making a donation to a hospital fund.
Maria Zammit
Nov 24th 2009, 17:24
I see the value of this exercise in making us aware of the cost of medical care. May I also know how much this exercise is going to cost the taxpayer and if this is a fruitful investment of our taxes, seeing that apart from the "information" benefit I see not other benefit accruing from the exercise? Ah i forgot the publicity angle, silly me! When one creates a job that is not needed, it is cheating the taxpayer if it is the citizen that is paying for the useless service!
Brian Maloret
Nov 24th 2009, 17:20
J Farrugia
But you are not getting these services free of charge; you pay for them through taxation.
Franco Farrugia
Nov 24th 2009, 17:18
@ Brian Maloret: No, I don't think it is a ridiculous idea at all. Quite the contrary: people should know how much they would have had to pay had the service not been free. Well, in fact, it is not free since we pay for it from our taxes. But it is a good idea, contrary to what Mr Maloret claims.
I Abela
Nov 24th 2009, 17:17
@ All those who agree - You have only been told the first part of the story. You should wait for the second part (ie actually paying for the service) before commenting. We are not talking about a grocery shop here but about the state hospital, where hundreds of people work at the same time, while thousands of medicinals are being adminstered, while operations are being performed, while chefs prepare hundreds of meals, etc etc etc. Now try (at least remotely) to imagine an accounting excercise which would take into consideration all of this. I am sure that the government has done this excercise (and not lying for once) but this excercise must surely have cost the government millions of euros in auditors, analysts, software etc etc. Now the question is.....Who would spend millions of euros and hundreds of thousands of man hours just to tell us how much our stay at Mater Dei costs? My guess is that the framework is ready and that government is now in a position to start charging us at any time he deems fit.
DUSTY WILLIAMS
Nov 24th 2009, 16:36
TAJBA DIN, IMMUR NIXTRI U TAL HANUT JGHIDLI KEMM JISWA DAK HADT IZDA XORTA MA NHALLASX DAK IL-HIN! BLA SENS! X'IMKIEN XI DARBA STENNA LI SER THALLAS GHAS SERVIZZI TAS SAHHA POPLU. DIN MA TINZILLIX. TFAKKARNI FIL FAMUZ DOKUMENT TA QABEL L'ELEZZJONI.
Joseph E Briffa
Nov 24th 2009, 16:36
I agree with this idea..why shouldn't people be made aware of the cost of 'free' medical services? It should make people appreciate what they have and deter them from 'abusing' the system. Aren't we told the cost of production of a m3 of water and of a kilo-watt hour of electricity?
Martin Spiteri
Nov 24th 2009, 16:35
@ JoBorg Yes private health plan is a matter of choice and beneserre, because you can afford it and not everyone can afford it. Everyone hates queues and pain, but maybe not everyone is as lucky as you are to have the option to avoid them.
Also, is there anything this government does that someone does not grumble? It is true that there are many other things that need to be improved etc, but Rome wasn't built in a day.
Also, everyone complains about corruption, taxes, the gov. Keep in mind that the gov is not even 1% of the population itself. Therefore all the screwing around and corruption is done from people like you and me. So instead of complaining you better pull up your socks and start reporting people who abuse from such systems. It would be better to try to educate each other instead of just blabbering. No one is perfect, but if one fine day everyone is more disciplined, and aware of what is happening around them (instead of just complaining) maybe we will get there one fine day.
M. Busuttil
Nov 24th 2009, 16:32
Can someone start to do a system where one can give a bill to the government with the costs of repairs to private cars due of bad roads?
daniel farrugia
Nov 24th 2009, 16:22
@j.farrugia
you're wrong on the last part, we are getting nothing for free!! i work everday and pay taxes and NI !!!
this idea is all a waste of money, money which could be spent for many better things i think!
Lorraine Vella
Nov 24th 2009, 16:19
I agree with this, totally. Many people do not appreciate the cost of being medicated/cured at hospital. It won't make things different, seeing that the patient will still not pay, however it is good that the patient knows exactly what went into his or her getting better! At times, people do not realise the cost and seeing it 'for free' they tend to abuse the system.
Christian Azzopardi
Nov 24th 2009, 16:18
While we're at it, the government could also give us a breakdown of all those extra millions of Euros which are spent every time a project goes over-budget (i.e. 99% of the cases).
And what about a breakdown of minister benefits and over-waging?
What a pathetic country we live in...
J Farrugia
Nov 24th 2009, 15:49
Yes Brian the people should be made aware of how much some of their own irresponsibility (like smokers etc) are costing the tax payer in much needed funds for those who out of the blue are stricken with illnesses. Yes the people have a right to know how much it costs the taxppayer for keeping social cases in hospital thus depriving much needed space to true patients. Yes we have a right to know how much everything which we are getting for free is costing us,. and if you dont like it, spit it.
A.Kitney
Nov 24th 2009, 15:47
I cannot understand?? We as taxpayers are overpaying the government for this and that and now he will be telling us that if we were to pay for them how much it will cost????????
Come on !! get real!!. We are in titled NOT to pay for health care as we have already prepaid . Do not forget that People spend 70% +or- of their life working so (supposed) paying taxes so if you amount that with our population that work then we are in titled to free Health care in hospitals, etc... If (heaven forbid) the government is thinking to charge us for hospital treatment the we will be paying ,then we WILL BE PAYING DOUBLE TAX !!!!!!!!
Do not forget the if the government charges us for using the hospital, he still won't cut off the tax paid for the service. It Is unfair that The government wants to give us some type of awareness of how much an operation costs or other, if it was the same government who wanted this hospital in the first place is giving compensation to bus drivers as if he is giving candy.
Andrea Portelli
Nov 24th 2009, 15:45
Hospital Patients to be told cost of services..... Pure propaganda. Just another way of brainwashing people to make them "thankful" of this bankrupt government
Joseph Arpa
Nov 24th 2009, 15:29
"He stressed that this did not mean that patients would be charged for services." OMG dont make me laugh, then why is all this work being done???? My mother used to tell me how much things cost when i was young!! Please
Brian Maloret
Nov 24th 2009, 15:18
So if patients are not going to be charged for the services that they receive at Mater Dei what exactly is the point of telling them the cost of the services that they have received. What a stupid and ridiculous proposal from the Maltese Government which will only serve, in my opinion, as giving patients a sense of guilt that they are costing the health services money.
JoBorg
Nov 24th 2009, 15:11
Great idea, but how about all those tax paying private health plan insured persons out submit a list of bills /costs that the Government did not have to fork out on there behalf ? Or may a balance sheet with the cost of the health plan for a family ? Wow a surgery or two, an MRI , consultants fees, what more ? Oh and for all of you out there saying it is a matter of choice and beneserre ...WRONG.......... many people are simply not happy have their name placed on endless waiting lists that can run for years in particular cases, endure pain or discomfort whilst paying taxes and social security contributions !!!!