Written answers
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Department of Health
Hospital Charges
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health the actual amount of additional revenue generated by increasing charges on private patients in public hospitals; the amount projected in budget 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37098/12]
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health the charges set by him in respect of inpatient and outpatient hospital care and for visiting an accident and emergency department; if these charges have changed since February 2011; if these charges will change in 2012; the revenue accruing from such charges in 2011; the anticipated income in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37133/12]
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health the rate of hospital charges - inpatient, outpatient and accident and emergency; the categories of patient required to pay hospital charges; the changes in charges which took place in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37135/12]
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health the anticipated income from statutory inpatient, outpatient and accident and emergency charges in 2011 and 2012 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37136/12]
James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1558, 1593, 1595 and 1596 together.
The current statutory public in-patient charge is €75 per day, subject to a maximum of €750 in any period of 12 consecutive months.The statutory in-patient charge also applies to day cases. A number of categories of individuals are exempt from the above charge, including those with full eligibility.
Maintenance charges for private in-patient services in respect of private, semi-private and day-care accommodation in categories 1 and 2 public hospitals were increased with effect from 1 January 2012. The new rates are set out below. There were no changes in respect of category 3 hospitals. It is anticipated that the increased charges will yield additional revenue in the region of €18 million in 2012.
Hospital Category | Private Accommodation | Semi-Private Accommodation | Day-care | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | HSE Regional Hospitals, Voluntary & Joint Board Teaching Hospitals | €1,046 | €933 | €753 |
2 | HSE County HospitalsVoluntary Non-Teaching Hospitals | €819 | €730 | €586 |
3 | HSE District Hospitals | €260 | €222 | €193 |
The private in-patient daily charge of €75, subject to a maximum payment of €750 in any period of 12 consecutive months, remained unchanged for 2012. These maintenance and daily charges are applicable to all private in-patients without exceptionThe A&E charge is provided for by the Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 1994 (as amended).The charge is currently €100.The charge applies to persons attending Accident and Emergency and Casualty Departments subject to exemptions set out in these regulations, including medical card holders and those who have a letter of referral from a registered medical practitioner.
Private patients are liable to a charge for the use of MRI scans in a public hospital, currently set at a maximum of €400.
The Health Service Executive has indicated the anticipated income from hospital charges in 2012 as follows:
2011 Actual €m | 2012 Estimate €m | |
---|---|---|
Private Accommodation charges | 464.2 | 488.2 |
Inpatient levy | 48.6 | 54.3 |
Emergency Dept | 16.4 | 16.5 |
The 2012 estimate of income is based on the extrapolation of the July 2012 year-to-date amounts.
Charges are kept under review in the context of the budgetary process but no decision has been taken to make any changes.
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