Carol Nolan
Question:1325. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health if he will remove inpatient charges for public hospital care at a cost of €30.6 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42462/21]
View answerThursday, 9 September 2021
Questions (1325)
Written answers
Patient charges are a key element of the overall funding envelope of the Irish health system and are taken into account when agreeing the Annual Estimates and the subsequent preparation of the annual National Service Plan.These charges typically include:- Out-patient charges;- Emergency Department charges;- In-patient charges; and- Long-term stay charges. Non collection of debts owed directly impacts on the affordability of services provided by the Health Service Executive in any year. There are cohorts of people who are exempt from these charges, including, but not limited to persons with full eligibility, women receiving services in respect of motherhood, children up to the age of six weeks, children suffering from diseases prescribed under section 52 (2) of the Act, and persons receiving services for the diagnosis or treatment of infectious diseases.The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all persons ordinarily resident in the country are eligible, subject to the statutory in-patient charge, to public in-patient hospital services. The current public hospital statutory in-patient charge is €80 per night, subject to a maximum of €800 in any period of twelve consecutive months. All persons accessing public in-patient services in a public hospital are liable for the statutory public in-patient charge, subject to a number of limited exemptions. There are no immediate plans to review the list of exemptions to this statutory in-patient charge. However, in line with commitments made in the Department of Health Statement of Strategy and the Slaintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan 2021-2023, a review of the eligibility and charges system is planned. The main objective of Sláintecare is to provide the right care, at the right place, at the right time. Eligibility and some charges have been highlighted as an obstacle to a patient’s access to swift high-quality healthcare. The Sláintecare program is committed to addressing any eligibility anomalies through investigating the current eligibility structure. Sláintecare’s aim is to shift the system to care for those who are in greatest need first.