Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 5

Written Answers. - Hospital Charges.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

311 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the charges in 1993 for an outpatient/casualty visit, a public ward bed, a semi private bed in a public hospital, and a public bed in a private hospital; and whether private patients are eligible for the public bed charge as well as the private bed.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The following press statement released by me today will give the Deputy the information he requested in relation to out-patient and in-patient charges and charges for private and semi-private accommodation in public hospitals in 1993.

There are no public beds in private hospitals. Persons occupying a private or semi-private bed in a public hospital may, in addition to the appropriate maintenance charges for private or semi-private accommodation, be liable for the charge of £15 per day or part of a day (£20 from 1 March 1993) for the first 10 days in any 12 months, subject to the same exemptions and limitations as apply to patients in public beds.

Press Release

Public Hospital Charges

The Minister for Health, Mr. Brendan Howlin, TD., has announced changes in out-patient and in-patient charges and for private and semi-private accommodation in public hospitals as follows:—

Out-Patient Charge

From 1st March, 1993 the existing out-patient charge of £10 in respect of the first visit for any particular medical condition will be replaced by a charge of £6 for each visit, subject to a maximum liability of £42 per individual in any period of twelve consecutive months commencing on 1st March, 1993. The £6 charge will cover all out-patient services availed of in the course of a single visit.

In-Patient Charge

The current hospital in-patient charge of £15 per day, subject to a limitation of £150 per individual in any period of twelve consecutive months, will be increased to £20 per day from 1st March 1993 and the maximum liability per individual will be increased to £200 in any period of twelve consecutive months.

The Minister is concerned that the in-patient charge, as applied at present, can have a disproportionate impact on persons admitted to hospital for very short stays—for example an individual admitted in the evening and discharged the following morning is charged for two days. He has instructed his Department to carry out a review of the current Regulations and to report back to him as soon as possible.

Discretion of Chief Executive Officers of Health Boards

The Minister has asked the Chief Executive Officers of health boards to be mindful of the provision under which in-patient and out-patient charges may be waived where undue hardship would otherwise be caused, particularly in cases where a number of members of the one family are subject to the charges within the same twelve month period.

Exemptions

A significant number of people are exempt from these charges. The following categories of persons are exempt:

(i) Medical card holders and their dependants.

(ii) Women receiving services in respect of motherhood.

(iii) Children up to the age of six weeks.

(iv) Children suffering from diseases or disabilities prescribed under Section 52 (2) of the Health Act, 1970, e.g. mental handicap, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, cerebral palsy.

(v) Children referred for treatment from a child health clinic or a school health examination.

(vi) Persons receiving services in respect of infectious diseases prescribed under the Health Act, 1947.

(vii) Persons deemed to have full eligibility by a Chief Executive Officer under Section 45 (7) of the Health Act, 1970.

(viii) Persons in receipt of long term care in geriatric, psychiatric or mental handicap institutions.

Charges for Private and Semi-Private Accommodation

Daily charges for private and semi-private accommodation in public hospitals will be increased by £20 per day from 1 July 1993. The new rates of charges will be as follows:

Hospital Category	Private	Semi-Private
	£	£
Regional and Voluntary Teaching Hospitals	132	104
County Hospitals and Voluntary Non-Teaching Hospitals	108	88
District Hospitals	68	59