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Nursing Home Subventions.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004

Tuesday, 23 March 2004

Questions (376)

John Cregan

Question:

376 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Health and Children if the present rate of health board subvention is likely to be increased in the short term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8713/04]

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Written answers

The Nursing Home (Subvention) Regulations 1993 are administered by the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority. There are currently three rates of subvention payable, namely, €114.30, €152.40 and €190.50, for the three levels of dependency which are medium, high and maximum. Included in these payments is an increase of 25% which came into effect in April 2001.

A review of the nursing home regulations is currently underway involving all of the key stakeholders. The objective of the review is to: develop a scheme which will be transparent; offer a high standard of care for clients; provide equity within the system to include standardised dependency and means testing; be less discretionary; provide both a home and nursing home subvention depending on need; be consistent in implementation throughout the country; be financially sustainable; and draw on experience of the operation of the old scheme. Pending the outcome of the review, there are no plans to increase the current approved subvention rates.

A health board may pay more than the maximum rate of subvention relative to an individual's level of dependency in a case for example where personal funds are exhausted. The application of these provisions is a matter for the individual health board concerned in the context of meeting increasing demands for subvention within the board's revenue allocation as notified annually in the letters of determination. This is in keeping with the provisions of the Health (Amendment)(No. 3) Act 1996. The average rate of subvention paid by health boards generally exceeds the current approved basic rates.

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