Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 February 2018
508. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the charges that apply both inpatient and outpatient, to a person (details supplied) injured in an accident who has not got a medical card and was taken to hospital by ambulance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10042/18]
View answerThe Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all persons ordinarily resident in the country are eligible, subject to certain charges, to public in-patient hospital services including consultant services and to public out-patient hospital services.
The Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 2013 provide for €100 statutory charge for Emergency Department attendance subject to a number of exemptions including for those who are medical cardholders, patients who have a letter of referral from a registered medical practitioner and patients whose attendance results in admission as an in-patient.
As provided for by the Health (Amendment) Act 2013, the current public hospital statutory in-patient charge is €80 per night, subject to a maximum of €800 in any twelve consecutive months.
Section 55 of the Health Act 1970 (as amended) also provides that the HSE may make available private in-patient services to persons who are not entitled to, or who do not have or have waived their eligibility to public in-patient services. In these circumstances the statutory hospital charges under Section 55 that apply for such an episode of care is set out in the table below and depends on the category of hospital, duration of stay and whether the accommodation was provided in a single or multi-occupancy room. It is also noted that patients opting to be treated privately must also pay the consultant fees associated with their treatment.
|
Hospital Category |
Daily charge for in-patient services where overnight accommodation provided in a single occupancy room |
Daily charge for in-patient services where overnight accommodation provided in a multiple occupancy room |
Daily charge for day case in-patient services where overnight accommodation not provided |
|
Hospital specified in Fifth Schedule |
€1,000 |
€813 |
€407 |
|
Hospital specified in Sixth Schedule |
€800 |
€659 |
€329 |
If the Deputy wishes to submit further details in relation to this case I can then ask the HSE to examine this issue in more detail.
