Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2014
723. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health if the consultation cost is covered under the medical card scheme when a person who has a general practitioner visit card is referred by the GP to a hospital consultant; if it is intended to cover the cost of the drug daxas under the drug payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25966/14]
View answerThe Irish Public Health System provides for two categories of eligibility for persons ordinarily resident in the country, i.e. full eligibility (medical cardholders) and limited eligibility (all others).
Persons with limited eligibility (including GP visit card holders) are eligible for in-patient and outpatient public hospital services including consultant services, subject to certain charges. The public hospital statutory in-patient charge is €75 in respect of each day during which a person is maintained, up to a maximum payment of €750 in any twelve consecutive months. There is also a charge of €100 for attendance at Accident & Emergency departments unless, inter alia, the person has a referral letter from their General Practitioner.
Patients can also opt to go privately to their Consultant and public hospital and are therefore liable for the fees of all consultants involved in their care and the private patient charges in public hospitals. The HSE is responsible for the administration of the primary care schemes, including the drug payment scheme, therefore, the HSE has been asked to examine the specific query raised by the Deputy concerning the drug Daxas and reply direct to him as soon as possible.
