Patients paying for TV service in the hospital

catshowlady · Sep 16, 2009

I didn't know anybody still did this. None of the hospitals I worked at or had clinicals at charged for TV. I do remember my mom leaving a couple of dollars a day for the TV for family members when I was a child (this would have been 25-30 years ago).

$6/day seems outrageous to me, esp since I'm ICU and most of my pts are so sick as to be confined to their rooms. That's a $180/month cable bill for 20 or 30 channels.

:paw:

RNKPCE · Sep 16, 2009

We had this at where I worked around 20 years ago. It was a PIA. A patient would pay for 4 days and get discharged after day 3. Or the poor patient had no money to pay. Glad that is long gone for us. Our patient now had state of the are flat screens and apparently they may a some point be able to access the internet from their beds.

rachelgeorgina · Sep 16, 2009

All public hospitals in Australia do this. It's something like AU$7 per day. Private hospitals the TV is already on and you even get some cable channels. (Mind you, considering what you pay in either insurance or direct payment to the hospital, it's probably worth it.)

I didn't think ICUs had televisions. I spent a bit of time in one at a major public hospital with my auntie. A few weeks later, my cousin was in a diabetic coma in ICU in a different, large public hospital but there were televisions. Needless to say, she wasn't watching it.

What I really hate is when something goes wrong with the TV and we, as nurses, seem to be expected to fix it! I'm not a television tech!

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

Yep, we do this, though I'm not really sure how it works because I have never seen a patient not have TV or ask how to pay for it.

I understand the rational for it (it's considered fraud to role it in to the hospital charges than bill insurance for it), but the prices seem steep and I think it's disgusting. How awful to be sick and stuck in a scary hospital with no even a TV to distract you.

Racey328 · Sep 16, 2009

Yup we do this, but they can get the basic channels for free. If they want to upgrade its $6 or more if they want movies. I think it is crazy, but everyone is just trying to make a buck.

Turtle in scrubs · Sep 16, 2009

It is not that TV is a "right", just rather it is expected and since other hospitals in my area are not charging for it, no one expects it.

And I just hate telling my patients that can't afford it, usually geriatrics

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

I can understand charging extra for premium channels, but for basic TV it seems a bit ridiculous. Seems like it should just be a part of the cost of doing business.

talaxandra · Sep 16, 2009

My hospital outsourced it, to a company in Queensland. The good news is that it only take a phone call to get it connected if the patient's admitted or moves room, the bad news is that if this happens out of hours they have to wait, and there's no longer a TV in the patient lounge.

There's a sliding rate depending on how long they pay for (ie cheeaper to pay by the week than the day etc), and they get pay TV as well as free to air. I suspect they're not digitally ready though, which will be interesting once analogue broadcasting stops.

I haven't ever had a patient or family member express surprise at the idea of paying.

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

I know in our ICU the TV is free, but I am not sure about out on the non ICU floors. I have worked at hospitals in the past where you paid for the TV and phone (this was when I worked med surg).

No one was suprised that they had to pay.

Turtle in scrubs · Sep 16, 2009

I know in our ICU the TV is free, but I am not sure about out on the non ICU floors. I have worked at hospitals in the past where you paid for the TV and phone (this was when I worked med surg).
No one was suprised that they had to pay.

Mind if I ask what country you are in? The others that expressed this as normal seem to be from Australia. I really wouldn't mind if it was the norm. I just hate being the only one in my area that does this. Patients just seem to feel we are trying to nickle and dime them.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

I have relatives in Canada who have had to pay to watch TV when hospitalized. I have no problem with this, btw.