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Hospital Charges.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2004

Tuesday, 7 December 2004

Questions (119)

Joan Burton

Question:

139 Ms Burton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the arrangements that are in place within hospital administrative systems to identify the patient with private health insurance who is undergoing day case procedures; the public-private mix of day case patients in each of the past five years; the amount of money that has been paid to consultants by private health insurers on behalf of patients who have undergone day case procedures in each of the past five years; and the number of payments that have been made in this regard. [32134/04]

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Written answers

There is a system in place in each individual hospital to identify and charge private patients being admitted for day treatment. The table below shows the number of day cases for each of the years from 1999 to 2003 based on hospital inpatient enquiry data received to end of October 2004:

Year

Day cases Public

Day cases Private

Total Day cases

1999

Number

193,425

54,041

247,466

%

78.16

21.84

2000

Number

210,247

63,038

273,285

%

76.93

23.07

2001

Number

233,735

81,245

314,980

%

74.21

25.79

2002

Number

267,714

85,323

353,037

%

75.83

24.17

2003

Number

296,514

92,231

388,745

%

76.27

23.73

Charges for private day case patients are a matter between the consultant and the patient. The information requested in relation to payments made to consultants for private treatment is not available to my Department.

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