Written Answers Nos. 220-229
220. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if a facility to provide bilateral cochlear implants for children under four years is to be included by the Health Service Executive under its 2013 service plan. [4972/13]
View answerI am advised that Beaumont Hospital carried out over ninety cochlear implants in 2012 and that over seven hundred patients are currently under the care of the hospital programme which provides rehabilitation and programming on a recurring basis. In relation to the query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service issue it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
221. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the reason a patient (details supplied) in County Dublin is waiting 18 months for an urgent surgical procedure in the Mater hospital, Dublin; and his views on same. [4973/13]
View answerThe management of inpatient and daycase waiting lists for patients awaiting public health care is based on the principle that after urgent and cancer patients are treated, then clinically assessed routine patients should be seen in chronological order (i.e. longest waiter first).
Should the patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he/she would be in the best position to take the matter up with the consultant and hospital involved. In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
222. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if Pradaxa is covered under the medical card scheme [4974/13]
View answerThe following products are on the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service list of reimbursable items: Pradaxa Caps. 110 mg. 10 (5 Day Dose); Pradaxa Caps. 110 mg. 60 (30 Day Dose); Pradaxa Caps. 75 mg. 10 (5 Day Dose); Pradaxa Caps. 75 mg. 60 (30 Day Dose); Pradaxa Hard Caps. 150 mg. 60 (30 Day Dose).
223. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland will retain its status as an independent agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4993/13]
View answerThe Food Safety Authority of Ireland is a statutory, independent and science-based agency, dedicated to protecting public health and consumer interests in the area of food safety and hygiene. It is responsible for enforcing food safety legislation across the 47,500 food businesses in Ireland. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland's work has never been more important than it is today. It has a unique role to play in ensuring that consumers' interests are first and foremost, and for maintaining consumer confidence in the safety of foods produced and marketed in Ireland. It is envisaged that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland will continue its work and will retain its present status as an independent agency in the future.
224. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health when a decision will issue on a medical card application in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4996/13]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
226. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to curtail the spiralling private health insurance cost increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5011/13]
View answerOn 28th January I met with the top management of the VHI. They informed me of their intention to increase premiums by 8%. I told them in the strongest possible terms that this was not acceptable to me. They have since announced that the premium increase will now be 6%. I remain very concerned about the cost of health insurance. The Government is committed to keeping down the cost of health insurance so that it is affordable for as many people as possible. It remains committed to protecting community rating, whereby everyone pays the same price for the same health insurance product, irrespective of age or health status.
I have repeatedly raised the issue of costs with health insurers as a whole and am determined to address costs in the sector in the interests of consumers. Last year, I established the Health Insurance Consultative Forum which comprises representatives from the country's main health insurance companies, the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) and the Department of Health. This Forum was established to generate ideas which would help address health insurance costs, whilst always respecting the requirements of competition law. The Forum will also give a voice to the insurers in the development of the new Universal Health Insurance model. I have also made it clear to the health insurers that I believe that significant savings can still be made, the effect of which can be to minimise the need for increases in premiums.
Given VHI’s very significant share of overall costs in the market, I will continue to focus strongly on the need for the VHI to address its costs and to address aggressively the base cost of procedures, including professional fees. Specific areas which I have requested to be addressed include:
- Audit - of the volume of procedures;
- Clinical audit – to determine the appropriateness of procedures being claimed for;
- Procedure based payments – in particular with a view to their extension to the public health sector;
- Benchmarking – to determine the underlying basis for the cost of specific procedures, with a view to driving costs downwards.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to put a permanent scheme of risk equalisation in place, which is a key requirement for the existing private health insurance market and is designed to keep health insurance affordable for older persons and to maintain the stability of the market. The Health Insurance (Amendment) Act, 2012 gave effect to a new Risk Equalisation Scheme (RES) with effect from 1 January 2013. This will contribute to the protection of affordability for those who need it most. It is important to note that the measures contained in the new Risk Equalisation Scheme are designed to result in no overall increase of premiums paid in the market, rather it is intended to spread the risk more evenly between the healthy and the less healthy, as well as the old and the young.
Finally, many consumers can make large savings on their health insurance premiums. I would strongly advise consumers to shop around for the health insurance plan that best suits their needs. For those who have been insured on the same plan for a number of years, it is important to review the level of cover to ensure that their needs are being met, without being over-insured. Consumers have a legal right to switch between or within insurers to get better value and to reduce their premium costs. The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) provides information to consumers regarding their rights and also on health insurance plans and benefits. The HIA's website www.hia.ie has a useful plan comparison tool which assists in finding suitable and competitive health insurance plans.
227. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for increases in charges under the fair care scheme notified to his Department; the basis for such increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5043/13]
View answerThe National Treatment Purchase Fund Board was designated under Section 40 of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 as the body authorised to enter into arrangements on the price for long-term residential care services with private and voluntary nursing homes that wish to be "approved nursing homes" for the purposes of the Scheme. The negotiation process is necessary due to the commitment by the State to meet the full balance between the negotiated price and each person's contribution. The cost of long term residential care in public nursing homes is determined by the HSE.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund Board have advised that in the period 1st February 2012 to 31st January 2013 the following activity occurred in relation to prices for long term residential care in private and voluntary nursing homes: Number of Private Nursing Homes that obtained NTPF agreement to increase price - 6; Number of Private Nursing Homes that agreed with NTPF to reduce price - 42.
In addition, long term price agreements (ranging from 2 to 5 years) were contracted in 2010 shortly after the introduction of the Scheme in 2009. This approach was taken to ensure greater long term price stability of the Scheme and also represented value for the tax payer. Some of these longer term contracts are index linked and the application of inflation clauses applied to a total of 140 nursing homes during the year ended 31st January 2013. Each nursing home's pricing arrangements are, in any event, assessed by NTPF on an individual nursing home basis as current contracts expire and fall due for renewal and renegotiation. At the 31st January 2013 a total of 426 private nursing homes had pricing contracts with NTPF for the provision of long term residential care.
228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when orthodontic treatment will be provided in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who is suffering pain and discomfort and awaiting treatment at St. James’s Hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5044/13]
View answerThe HSE provides orthodontic treatment to patients based on their level of clinical need. An individual's access to orthodontic treatment is determined against a set of clinical guidelines and priority is given to patients with greatest needs. The HSE has been asked to examine the specific query raised by the Deputy and to reply to him as soon as possible.
229. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health when he will publish the Strategy for Dementia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5055/13]
View answerThe Programme for Government gave a commitment to develop a National Strategy on Dementia which will increase awareness, ensure early diagnosis and intervention, and enhance community based services for all people living with this condition, and to do so by the end of 2013. The first stage of the process, which was to assemble the research and evidence upon which the policy will be developed, has been completed and the report on this process is available at www.doh.ie. This was followed by a public consultation process, with submissions received currently being analysed. A working group to develop the Strategy will be established shortly with a view to finalising and publishing the Dementia Strategy by the end of this year.
