asked the Minister for Health the number of persons in the State to whom a demand has been made for the £7 payment under the Health Contributions Act, 1971.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Contributions.
8.
Approximately 105,000 demands have by now been issued to self-employed persons and farmers for payment of this contribution for the year to 30th September, 1972.
If notification is given to some person that they should pay this £7, is it followed up or is it left to their own discretion to decide whether they are eligible to take advantage of this scheme? I believe it is a good scheme.
It is followed up if they do not pay.
Who adjudicates on whether they are eligible? There seems to be grave doubt in many cases. People have paid and people have not paid, and nobody seems to know exactly where the adjudication comes in.
The Revenue Commissioners deal with self-employed persons and the health boards deal with the farming population. I should imagine that appeals could be made to either.
The farming population are not the only self-employed persons in the country. There are many people who are self-employed.
The Revenue Commissioners deal with the self-employed persons and the health boards have to collect the contributions from the farmers.
9.
asked the Minister for Health if he will specify precisely the additional health benefits obtained by a person who is adequately insured for free hospital services under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme in respect of the annual sum of £7 which such person is now required to contribute towards the national health schemes; and in particular to what extent this such contribution affects person's voluntary health scheme position.
Following the introduction on 1st October last of the scheme of health contributions for persons with limited eligibility for health services the charge of up to 50p per day for in-patient hospital care and the charges for outpatient specialist services were dropped. From the same date provisions applicable to persons in this group were introduced which made available free drugs and medicines for patients with certain specified long-term conditions.
As regards a comparison between the benefits available under the Health Acts to a person in the limited eligibility category and those to which he would be entitled under the Voluntary Health Insurance Board schemes, the main point of difference is that the Voluntary Health Insurance Board's coverage is of necessity limited since the board must have regard to actuarial limits. Thus the board imposes limits on the duration and cost of hospital care for which it will accept liability; maternity care is excluded except in certain abnormal circumstances and medical conditions which were present before entering insurance and likely to occur again are not covered. Similarly there are restrictions in regard to payment for medicines used outside hospital.
The dropping of the charges for hospital treatment for persons with limited eligibility will mean that persons in this category who voluntarily insure themselves will not need coverage to the same extent as heretofore. The Voluntary Health Insurance Board will be glad to advise persons in this regard.
What it boils down to is this, that persons could reduce the number of units they had in order to get free hospitalisation in cases other than maternity, if they were within the voluntary health insurance scheme?
So I understand. People at the upper end of the limited eligibility group and who were made to pay 50p per day for hospital service now no longer have to pay.
Supposing a subscriber did not vary the amount of his subscription and, in other words, retained the same number of units in future as in the past, can such a person get additional benefits from the Voluntary Health Insurance Board? Could the person be in hospital for a longer period than formerly?
That is rather a complicated question. It relates, of course, to the fact that they get semi-private or private accommodation. I could not answer the Deputy exactly.
10.
asked the Minister for Health if it is obligatory on an employer to pay the extra 15p stamp charge under the Health Contributions Act, 1971, in the case of an employee who has got a health card.
The answer is in the affirmative.