Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 213: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her Department has issued guidelines or regulations regarding the manner in which hospital charges are made and if she will specify any such guidelines or regulations. [3182/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I take it that the Deputy is referring to charges for acute hospital care. The Health (In-Patient Charges) Regulations 1987, as amended, specify the level of such charges and categories of persons exempted from public hospital statutory in-patient charges. These charges currently stand at €55 per night up to a maximum of €550 in any 12 consecutive months. As well as those with full medical card eligibility, the categories exempted include infants up to the age of six weeks and women receiving services in respect of motherhood. The 1987 regulations also provided that, pursuant to section 45(7) of the Health Act 1970, a person may be exempted from public hospital charges on hardship grounds.

Under the Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 1987, attendance at accident and emergency departments is subject to a charge where the patient does not have a letter of referral from a general practitioner. This charge, which applies only to the first visit in any episode of care, is currently €55.

In addition to the these statutory charges, under section 55 of the Health Act 1970 there is a charge for a private patient or semi-private patient in a public hospital and this is outlined as follows.

In 1994 the Department issued a circular which provided key information on the application of these charges and I will have a copy of this circular forwarded to the Deputy.

Charges can also be made in respect of road traffic accidents. Under the Health (Amendment) Act 1986 the Health Service Executive may impose charges on all patients for treatment arising out of injuries sustained in road traffic accidents where compensation is subsequently payable. These charges are based on the average daily cost of the hospital or hospitals where the patient was treated and are independent of other hospital charges. Letters were issued by my Department to the health boards outlining the judgment and directing them to charge the average daily cost in all road traffic accident cases. I will have copies of these letters forwarded to the Deputy.