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Hospital Circular 23/2002

Date Issued: 25 July 2002

Publication: 23/2002

Distribution: Subscribers (Acute Health Circular 7/2001 refers)

Attention: Public Hospitals, Extended Care Centres, Metropolitan Health Services, Regional Offices

Enquiries: Regional Office

Subject: Public hospital fees

  1. Private Admitted Patients - overnight stays and same day patients
  2. Compensable (excluding VWA and TAC recipients) Patients

Public Hospital Fees - Changes

1. Private Admitted Patients - overnight stays and same day patients

Background

The Commonwealth has advised that the overnight accommodation basic default benefits for shared ward acute hospital treatment will be indexed by 2.9% (CPI movement for Australia March 2001 to March 2002). The Department of Human Services Victoria (DHS) however, has estimated that Victoria's public hospital costs will increase by 6%-8% in 2002-2003, with the estimated increase in costs the previous year being 8%.

Rates 2002/2003

Accordingly DHS has determined that effective 1 July 2002, Victorian public hospitals private admitted patient bed day rates for 2002/2003 for:

  1. shared overnight stays and same day patients will increase by 2.9%; and
  2. single room overnight stays will increase by 6%

from the 2001/2002 level (DHS Circular 15/2001). Tables 1 and 2 refer below.

Table 1 - Private Overnight Stays
Patient Classification
Length of Stay
Fee per day ($)
Shared
Single
Advanced Surgical 1 - 14 days
15 + days 		$293
$203 		$525
$406
Surgical/Obstetric 1 - 14 days
15 + days 		$270
$203 		$498
$406
Other 1 - 14 days
15 + days 		$235
$203 		$438
$406
Psychiatric 1 - 42 days
43 - 65 days
66 + days 		$270
$235
$203 		$498
$438
$406
Rehabilitation 1 - 49 days
50 - 65 days
66 + days 		$270
$235
$203 		$498
$438
$406
Table 2 - Private Same Day Admissions
Band
Fee
Band 1 $170
Band 2 $203
Band 3 $235
Band 4 $270

2. Compensable admitted patients (excluding WorkCover and TAC recipients) 2002/2003

DHS has increased the 2001/2002 rates by 6%, effective 1 July 2002. See State Fees Manual at State Fees Manual for rates 2002/2003.


3. Fees Manual

To access the updates to the Fees and Charges for Acute Health Services in Victoria: A Handbook for Public Hospitals ('State's Fees Manual') in accordance with this Circular advice, please go to the State Fees Manual and refer to the relevant sections:

Section A: Fees for Admitted Patients


Shane Solomon
Executive Director
Metropolitan Health and Aged Care Services

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