Mark Ward
Ceist:1092. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the financial supports that are available to persons seeking surgery for endometriosis; and if there are treatment abroad schemes for same. [53222/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 2 November 2021
Ceisteanna (1092)
Freagraí scríofa
I can advise the Deputy that, in the context of a required hospital stay, the only charges that apply for publicly funded hospital services are the acute in-patient charges. The 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. All persons, irrespective of illness or condition, accessing public in-patient (including day case) services in a public hospital are liable for the statutory in-patient daily charge of €80 up to a maximum of €800 in any period of 12 consecutive months, subject to a number of exemptions which include:
- medical card holders;
- people receiving treatment for prescribed infectious diseases - including Coronavirus (Covid-19);
- people who are subject to 'long-stay' charges;
- children referred for treatment from child health clinics and school board examinations;
- people who are eligible for hospital services because of EU Regulations;
- women receiving maternity services;
- children up to 6 weeks of age;
- people with hepatitis C who have a Health Amendment Card; and
- people who are part of the Redress Scheme for Women Resident in Certain Institutions.
The Deputy has also asked about treatment abroad for endometriosis. The HSE operates a Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS), for persons entitled under EU Regulation 883/04. The TAS is a consultant lead scheme and allows for an Ireland-based public consultant to refer a public patient who is normally resident in Ireland for treatment in the public healthcare system of another EU member state, the UK or Switzerland. Subject to the EU Regulations and Guidelines, the TAS provides for the cost of approved public treatments in another EU/EEA member state, the UK or Switzerland through the issue of form S2 (IE) where the treatment is:
- among the benefits provided for by Irish legislation;
- not available in Ireland;
- not available within the time normally necessary for obtaining it in Ireland, taking account of the patient's current state of health and the probable course of the disease.
- medically necessary and will meet the patient’s needs;
- a proven form of medical treatment and not experimental or test treatment;
- provided in a recognised public hospital or other institution that will accept EU/EEA form S2 (IE) and;
- is under the control of a registered medical practitioner.
Furthermore, the Deputy may be aware of the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme (NI PHS) has been in effective operation since 1 January 2021. This Scheme was introduced to mitigate the loss of access to care from private providers in Northern Ireland under the EU Cross Border Directive, which ceased to apply as a result of Brexit. It enables persons resident in the State to access and be reimbursed for private healthcare in Northern Ireland by the HSE, provided such healthcare is publicly available within Ireland.
Details on both of these schemes can be accessed on the HSE website:
TAS website: www2.hse.ie/services/treatment-abroad-scheme/treatment-abroad-scheme.html and CBD website: www2.hse.ie/services/cross-border-directive/about-the-cross-border-directive.html .
I can assure the Deputy that improving women’s health outcomes is a key priority for me and this Government and I secured €31m for women’s health initiatives under Budget 2022.
This additional funding supplements both the ongoing work of my Department in key areas for women and a specific dedicated allocation for innovative approaches to women’s health services nationwide, through the Women’s Health Taskforce ‘Women’s Health Fund’.
One of the key initiatives driving progress for women’s health which have been supported through Budget 2022 is extended endometriosis services in Tallaght and Cork at a cost of €1.39 million. This additional funding will build the initiatives started in 2021, by further expanding specialist endometriosis services for more complex cases across these two centres.