Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 November 2004
212 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount taken from charges in 2001; the total expected in 2005; the inpatient, outpatient and accident and emergency charge prior to May 2002; the current level; the number of persons who made claims on the drug refund scheme in October 2004 for the months for which statistics are available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31343/04]
View answerStatistics on the amount taken from charges in 2001 and as predicted for 2005 are not currently available.
The charge for outpatient services in respect of attendance at accident and emergency or casualty departments where the person concerned has not been referred by a medical practitioner, was fixed at €31.74, £25, before May 2002 — since January 2000. It currently stands at €45, and is due to be increased again next January.
The public hospital statutory inpatient charge in respect of each day during which a person is maintained was €33.01, £26, before May 2002 — since January 2000. It is currently €45, and the maximum payment in any 12 consecutive months is €450. This charge also increases to €55 from January next.
The drugs refund scheme was replaced by the drug payments scheme on 1 July 1999. Statistics about claims — unique meaning individual versus family claims — made up to October 2004 on a month by month basis have been collated by the GMS (Payments) Board, and are set out in the following table for the Deputy's information.
|
Month |
Number of Unique Claimants |
|
Jan-04 |
209,287 |
|
Feb-04 |
195,894 |
|
Mar-04 |
213,389 |
|
Apr-04 |
204,306 |
|
May-04 |
210,272 |
|
Jun-04 |
209,723 |
|
Jul-04 |
209,529 |
|
Aug-04 |
200,228 |
|
*Sept-04 |
210,761 |
|
*Oct-04 |
215,122 |
* Provisional Figures
