asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate the up-to-date range of benefits available to persons insured under the Social Welfare Acts and their dependents (a) free of charge and (b) subject to charge; and if he will state the nature or amount of the charges, if any.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
I am assuming that the question relates only to the health services which are made available for insured persons and their dependents under the Health Acts.
The services available to insured persons, as such, and their dependents are the general institutional and specialist services, the maternity and infant welfare services and the mental treatment service. The maternity service and the infant welfare, service for infants up to six weeks old is free of charge. The remaining services mentioned are also free for such insured persons as are in the lower income group but in the case of insured persons who are not in the lower income group charges not exceeding 10/- a day may be made for general or mental hospital in-patient services and, in regard to out-patient services, charges of 7/6 for an X-ray examination and 2/6 for any other service are made for specialist examinations.
All insured persons, in common with the rest of the population are, of course, entitled, free of charge, to the full range of the infectious diseases service. Those who are in the lower income group are also entitled to the services provided for that group, including attendance by the district medical officer.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, a copy of a statement on the health services available to insured persons and others which is issued by my Department will be circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:—
AN ROINN SLÁINTE.
HEALTH SERVICES.
A summary of the health services available for various classes of the population is set out below. These services are provided by local health authorities. Inquiries about entitlement to them or about their operation should be addressed to the secretary of the county council or, in the case of persons resident in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick or Waterford, to the city manager. If, by reason of special local arrangements, the person mentioned is not dealing with the particular service, he will forward the inquiry to the proper person.
A person who thinks he is eligible for any of the services and wishes to use them should apply in good time to the local authority as, in some cases, late applications will not be considered.
There is no compulsion on any person to avail himself of any of these services.
(1) Services for the lower income group
Persons in the lower income group (that is, broadly speaking, those who are unable to provide the services from their own resources) and their dependents, are eligible, without charge, for:—
the general medical service provided by dispensary doctors together with any medicines, appliances, etc., which may be necessary;
maternity care service and infant welfare service (for infants up to six weeks old);
hospital and specialist services;
a supply of milk for expectant and nursing mothers and for children under five years of age (available at the discretion of the local health authority);
a maternity cash grant of £4 for each confinement;
essential dental, ear and eye services (where provided by the local health authority).
Note—General Medical Services Cards are issued by local health authorities to persons in the lower income group, for presentation whenever the services of the dispensary doctor are needed. Persons who consider that they come within the lower income group may apply to the local authority for one of these cards.
(2) Services for the middle income group
The middle income group includes such of the persons in the following categories as are not in the lower income group, and their dependents:—
(a) persons currently, or until recently, insured under the Social Welfare Act, 1952;
(b) adult persons whose yearly means are less than £600;
(c) adult persons whose yearly means are, in the opinion of the local health authority, derived wholly or mainly from farming, the rateable valuation of the farm or farms (including the buildings thereon) being £50 or less.
In calculating yearly means for the purposes of (b) and (c) above, the means of the husband and wife and of any unmarried sons, daughters, stepsons and stepdaughters living in the household are taken into account. "Yearly means" includes an estimated annual value of investments, property, etc., in addition to income in cash.
Persons in the middle income group are entitled to:—
a free maternity care service and infant welfare service (for infants up to six weeks old);
hospital services as in-patients— free for maternity patients and for patients suffering from tuberculosis and certain other infectious diseases, and at a charge not exceeding 10/- a day covering all the hospital services in other cases;
specialist services as out-patients —free for maternity patients and for tuberculosis patients, and at a charge of 7/6 for an X-ray examination and 2/6 for any other specialist service in other cases.
(3) Services for persons outside these groups
Other persons (and their dependents) who, in the opinion of the local health authority, would be unable without undue hardship to provide the services needed for themselves or their dependents may be given maternity services, hospital services and specialist services. The maternity services for these are free, but charges are leviable for hospital and specialist services not related to maternity or infectious diseases.
(4) Services for children
Apart from any services to which they may be entitled as dependents of persons in the groups mentioned above, there is available for pupils of national schools a free school health examination service, with free hospital and specialist services and dental, ear and eye services for defects discovered at such examinations. A child welfare clinic service for children under six years old is available free of charge in some urban areas. Free dental, ear and eye services are available for children in respect of defects discovered at these clinics.
(5) Choice of hospital or home
If a patient, eligible for hospital services (other than for infectious diseases) prefers to make a choice, from a list approved by the Minister, of a hospital, nursing home or maternity home instead of availing of the hospital service provided by the health authority, that authority will, subject to certain conditions, contribute to such hospital or home towards his or her maintenance there. In such cases the person concerned will be liable for charges by the hospital or home over and above the contribution paid by the local authority.
(6) Tuberculosis and Other Infectious Diseases
In addition to the hospital services mentioned above, services are provided for discovering if persons are suffering from tuberculosis and certain other infectious diseases. These services are provided free to any person using the health authority's scheme. Facilities for B.C.G. vaccination against tuberculosis, immunisation against diphtheria, and similar measures of protection are also provided free by the health authority. There is no means test for any of the foregoing infectious diseases services. Cash allowances are payable while persons undergoing treatment for tuberculosis or certain other infectious diseases are not able to provide for themselves or their dependents, where hardship would result if allowances were not paid.
(7) Disabled Persons (Maintenance) Allowances
A disabled persons (maintenance) allowance is payable to a chronically disabled person over 16 years of age who cannot maintain himself and whose near relatives cannot maintain him, provided that his disability has lasted or may be expected to last for at least one year from its onset and that he is not maintained in an institution. The maximum allowance payable is £1 per week. There is no provision under this scheme for allowances for dependents of such persons.