asked the Minister for Health if he will state in respect of each health authority the daily amount paid by such authority for institutional treatment for patients in voluntary hospitals showing separately the rate for (a) teaching hospitals and (b) nonteaching hospitals for (i) public wards and (ii) private or semi-private rooms.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Institutional Treatment.
43.
The capitation rate payable by health authorities in respect of patients sent, or deemed to have been sent, by such authorities for treatment in general voluntary teaching hospitals is 64s 6d a day. This charge covers maintenance and treatment in public accommodation. Where a patient exercises a choice and obtains treatment in a voluntary hospital in lieu of that made available by the health authority concerned the liability of that authority is 44s 6d for public accommodation and 40s 0d for private or semi-private accommodation. The corresponding rates for general non-teaching hospitals are 34s 4d, 24s 4d and 21s 6d.
The rates applicable to maternity patients range from 60/- a day for voluntary teaching maternity hospitals to 36/- for certain non-teaching hospitals. These rates are subject to reduction on lines similar to those which I have indicated in regard to general hospitals, where the patient is not admitted or deemed to have been admitted to the hospital at the request of a health authority.
Payment in respect of certain items, such as expensive medicines and medical appliances, may be made by health authorities in addition to the charges which I have mentioned.
44.
asked the Minister for Health the maximum which the health authority may charge any person for institutional care in the case of (a) persons who are entitled to services under the Health Acts and (b) other persons on the grounds of undue hardship; and the categories in respect of which charges in excess of 10/- per day may be made.
Persons who are eligible for services under the Health Acts and avail of hospital services provided by the Health Authority in a public ward in the authority's hospital or in another hospital with which the authority has an arrangement, qualify for this service free of charge or at a charge not exceeding 10/- a day. If an eligible patient is maintained in private or semi-private accommodation in a health authority hospital extra charges of 12/- per day or 6/- per day respectively are made. In the situation where the eligible patient decides not to avail of the services provided by the health authority and makes his own arrangements, his outlay could, of course, be quite substantial.
The charges which may be made by health authorities to members of the higher income group who become eligible for health services on the ground of hardship vary, according to the particular circumstances of the applicant, from nil to practically the full amount which the health authority would pay for an eligible patient if the applicant were treated in a voluntary hospital or the paying patients rate if the applicant were treated in a health authority hospital.