Vol. 548 No. 5
254 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the individual responsible for a hospital bill where a patient is a VHI member and a medical card holder in the circumstances where the patient is cared for in a public hospital; if the VHI is compelled to contribute anything to the hospital in this instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5461/02]
Entitlement to health services in Ireland is primarily based on residency and means rather than income. Any person, regardless of nationality, who is accepted by the health boards as being ordinarily resident in Ireland is entitled to either full eligibility (i.e. medical card holders) or limited eligibility for the health services. Health boards normally regard a person as "ordinarily resident" in Ireland if he/she satisfies the health board that it is his/her intention to remain in Ireland for a minimum period of one year. Under arrangements for public hospital services introduced in June 1991, everyone, regardless of income, is entitled to public hospital and public consultant services, subject only to modest statutory charges from which medical card holders are exempt. However, any patient who elects to be treated privately is liable for the appropriate accommodation charges and consultants fees in addition to the statutory charges. Any patient, whether a medical card holder or not, who opts for treatment in a private hospital or as a private patient in a public hospital is liable for the costs relating to such treatment. The requirement that patients make an explicit choice between public and private health care was recommended by the 1989 Commission on Health Funding on the grounds of equity.
