asked the Minister for Health if patients holding medical cards should be charged hospital expenses if they leave their own authority area for treatment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Expenses of Medical Card Holders.
37.
Mr. O'Malley
The question of whether a charge will be made, depends on a number of factors related to the circumstances in which the person concerned goes to a hospital outside his own county.
Where a medical card holder is referred by his health authority to a hospital outside his area, or where there is an arrangement, whereby a medical card holder is free to enter such a hospital, without prior reference to his health authority, no charge should be made to the patient for the treatment given in a public ward.
When a medical card holder by his own choice goes into a voluntary hospital, or into the hospital of another health authority, he is normally liable to pay a charge to such a hospital— 10/- a day if he goes into a public ward. Special circumstances may arise in which there is a departure from this arrangement. If the Deputy wishes to have the position clarified in any specific case, I shall be glad to do it for him if he lets me have the details.
Did the Minister state that if a person in possession of a medical card went into a voluntary hospital, he would be charged 10/-?
Mr. O'Malley
No, I did not. It all depends on the arrangements between one local authority and another. A person with a medical card should not be charged.
Surely if somebody is sent for treatment to an outside hospital, there is no charge?
Mr. O'Malley
That is quite true.
If by some accident a person is admitted to a hospital in another county——
Mr. O'Malley
Such accidents should not happen. If they do, I will undertake to the Deputy or any other Deputy that they will not be charged.