Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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41. To ask the Minister for Health if cancer patients who have to pay for their own treatment also have to pay for cancer-related surgery. [40066/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Under the provision of the Health Act 1970, a person with full eligibility (i.e. a medical card holder) is eligible for public hospital out-patient and in-patient services, including consultant services, without charge.

A person with limited eligibility (i.e. a non-medical card holder) is entitled, subject to certain charges, to all in-patient public hospital services in public wards including consultant services and out-patient public hospital services including consultant services. The current public hospital statutory in-patient charge is €75 per night subject to a maximum of €750 in any period of 12 consecutive months. Attendance at accident and emergency department is subject to a charge of €100 where the patient does not have a referral note from his/her doctor. This charge applies only to the first episode of care.

Under the Health Acts, a person can also opt to be private to their consultant for out-patient and in-patient services. In doing so they are liable for the fees of all consultants involved in their care. Private consultant fees are a private contractual matter between the consultant and their patient. In addition, patients opting to be private to their consultant for the purposes of in-patient services in public hospitals are also liable for the daily private accommodation charges directed by the Minister under Section 55 of the Health Act 1970 (as amended): a maintenance charge and a daily charge. The maintenance charge ranges from €586 to €1,046 per day for private patients who are accommodated in a private designated bed. The private in-patient daily charge is €75 and is applicable to all private patients without exception.