Fee Note letter
My goal is to foster complete transparency and understanding of fees payable at all times. This is an example of the letter you'll receive detailing fees and other information.
Dear [patient name]
Outpatient Appointment
Thank you for choosing to see me at The Alexandra Hospital/Wilmslow for your outpatient consultation. This letter sets out some important information that I am required by law to provide to you. This is for your information only and is not a bill. As this includes information about my charges, if you do not have private medical insurance but someone else is paying your bill, you may wish to pass a copy of this letter to them. Please note that even if someone else is paying your bill or have private medical insurance, you are responsible for paying any charges which they do not pay.
Consultation Fee – varies according to limits I have agreed with your insurer
My fee for an initial consultation will not exceed £200 and my fee for any follow-up consultation will not exceed £160 (An additional fee for an ECG of £90 would generally apply). These estimates are correct at the date of this letter.
Should you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hours’ notice, a cancellation fee of up to 100% of the appointment charge, OR an amount of £200 (initial consultation) and £160(follow-up consultation) may be charged.
Following your consultation you may need certain tests (such as blood tests or imaging, for example, and X-ray, MRI or CT scan) to help me diagnose your condition. If the test is undertaken by the clinic or hospital, and not by me, the fees for those tests will be determined by the clinic or hospital and charged to you, or your private medical insurer, separately.
If there are any fees which I will charge in relation to any of the tests I advise that you have, I will let you know what those will be.
Private Medical Insurance
If you have private medical insurance, please contact your insurer before your consultation, to check the terms of your policy, particularly the level and type of outpatient cover you have, including any reimbursement limits on individual consultation fees.
I am recognised by the private insurers listed below:
Aviva - Fee assured
AXA PPP - Fee assured
BUPA - Fee assured
Cigna
CS Healthcare
Exeter Friendly
Healthonline - Fee assured
Helix
Police Mutual
Pruhealth/Vitality
SAGA HC - Fee assured
SimplyHealth - Fee assured
Standard Life HC
WPA
Unless the term “Fee assured” is stated I have no fee agreement with the insurer and you may be liable for any difference between fee and insurer’s limit. The information above supersedes any information you may have received from your insurer in this regard.
Please note that you are responsible for any fees not covered by your insurer and any excess on your policy.
Terms and Conditions of Payment
In the absence of prior written agreement to the contrary, payment of these charges is required on receipt of the first invoice. Failure to make payment within 28 days of this time will result in the matter being referred to our Debt Collection Agents whose charges will be added to and payable with the invoice debt.
Financial Interests
I am legally obliged to inform you that I have no financial interest in the hospitals at which I work.
Quality Information
You can compare independent information about the quality of private treatment offered at the hospital and other private healthcare providers from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) website: www.PHIN.org.uk.
I look forward to welcoming you to my clinic.
Yours sincerely
Richard Levy MD FACC FESC FRCP
Consultant Cardiologist