Appeal a healthcare charge or your right to free care

​What you can appeal

You can appeal decisions made by Health and Care Jersey (HCJ) about:

• healthcare charges 
• if you can get free access to healthcare

This includes decisions under:

• Publicly funded healthcare eligibility policy
• Interim patient travel and related costs policy
  
• Patient Choice Policy​
  
• Private Patient Policy
• other services with criteria for accessing services which aren’t covered by other policies

You may be able to appeal if you think:

• you were charged the wrong costs
• you should have got free services but had to pay
• you were wrongly told you cannot access a service

You can’t appeal:

• waiting times
• charges or decisions made by another of our departments
• charges or decisions made by private healthcare providers, like GP or dentists

The result of your appeal could be that:

• we reduce or remove the charge
• you still need to pay the charge
• we allow you to use a service you were previously told you could not access
• we still apply the rules and you can’t access the service you were previously told you could not access
• we still apply the rules and you don’t get free care 

Charges are based on eligibility rules and the type of treatment or service you received. 

Charges and eligibility appeals procedure

Submit an appeal

You must submit your appeal within 31 days of receiving a bill, invoice or eligibility decision.

To make an appeal email the Patient Finance team at patientfinance@health.gov.je:

• invoice number, if applicable
  
• date of appointment, if applicable
• related HCJ service
• name of consultant or clinician
• reasons for your appeal, for example:
• a procedural error
• a factual error
• ​exceptional circumstances
• any other relevant information that may support your appeal

You can also send us a letter explaining your appeal.

What happens next

After you submitted your appeal, the original decision is reviewed by a panel, which includes clinical professionals. They aim to make a decision within 31 days of receiving your appeal.

If you’re not happy with the panel’s decision, you can ask for a review by the Minister for Health and Social Services within 31 days. The Minister or an Assistant Minister will review your case.

The Minister’s decision is final.

C​harges from a GP, dentist or other healthcare providers

To appeal a charge from a private healthcare business, like a GP or dentist, you should first speak to them.

If you’re still unhappy with the outcome, you can contact the Primary Care Governance Team.

Find out more in the complaints policy and procedure for GPs and GP practices​.​