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Treatment Benefit Scheme Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 November 2018

Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Ceisteanna (1019)

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

1019. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated amount it would cost in 2019 if the frequency of applying for a grant for hearing aids was reduced from every four years to three years using the 2017 application figures, if the maximum grant available for one hearing aid was to be increased from €500 to €600 and for two hearing aids from €1,000 to €1,200; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44692/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The medical appliance scheme operated as part of treatment benefits provides a grant towards the purchase of hearing aids. Currently this is paid at 50% of the purchase price, to a max of €500 per aid and a maximum of two appliances in any 4 year period. Repairs to hearing aids can also be claimed for under the scheme.

The grant was increased on a number of occasions in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s to reflect the cost of the new digital technology being introduced during that period. The grant was paid at a maximum of €830 per aid (€1,660 for 2) with a frequency period of 2 years.

This was reduced a number of times since 2009, under FEMPI the grant reduced from €830 to €760 per aid. Then in 2012, it reduced to €500 per aid and the frequency of replacement was extended from 2 years to 4 years. These changes were introduced to reflect the reducing cost of digital technology and the increased reliability and longevity of the newer digital devices.

Applications for hearing aids have increased by 70% since 2015, due in part to the extension of the scheme to the self-employed in March 2017.

The potential increased expenditure resulting from reducing the frequency period from 4 to 3 years will depend of the uptake by customers. This is difficult to accurately project, as if hearing aids are working well and proving reliable, as many digital devices continue to do for considerably longer than 4 years, people are unlikely to want to incur unnecessary expenditure. It is estimated that currently circa 25% of customers replace their hearing aids every 4 years.

In 2016 there were over 9,000 applications under the medical appliance scheme with some 16,000 hearing aids grant approved, at a cost of €7.5 million. If 25% of the customers who got aids in 2016 re-applied in 2019 as opposed to 2020, the additional cost in 2019 could be circa €2 million.

Increasing the grant amount from €500 to €600 per aid could potentially increase the annual cost by 20% from €10.3 million to €12.4 million per annum, based on 2017 applications numbers and cost.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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