Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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183. To ask the Minister for Health his Department's calculation of the actual annual spend on health in each of the past three years, 2011 to 2013, inclusive, across each of the following: the State spend, private health insurance contributions across the range of competitor companies, private practice direct payments by patients attending consultants, GPs, specialist and other services, including therapy services drugs and medicines payments up to the drug refund scheme threshold and the prescription charge paid by medical card holders and any other identifiable expenditure across the broad health spectrum. [5822/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Total public expenditure on health for each of the years 2011 and 2012 was €14,075 million and €14,137 million respectively. The estimated figure for 2013 is €13,881 million.

Estimates of private health expenditure are compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and are principally based on data derived from the Household Budget Survey (HBS). The HBS is carried out every 5 years with the last survey having taken place in 2010. Estimated annual expenditure is based on grossing up the survey data for the full year and the total population. The attached table presents estimated results across a range of categories of out of pocket health expenditure, including medical consultations, for 2010. Out of pocket expenditure on prescribed medicines is also included in the table. It should be noted that it is not possible to exclude prescription payments which may subsequently have been refunded under the drug payments scheme (DPS). Where a person has a DPS card and fills prescriptions in a specified pharmacy, there is no payment once the monthly limit has been exceeded. However, if the prescription is filled in a different pharmacy then payment must be made prior to a refund being claimed. Prescription charges for medical card holders amounted to €27.6 million, €29.7 million and €85.0 million for 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively.

The CSO and the Department of Health are currently cooperating on a major initiative to produce more detailed annual public and private health expenditure data for Ireland based on the System of Health Accounts (SHA). Implementation of the SHA will enable more comprehensive reporting of health expenditure by provider, funder and types of care. It will also improve estimation of health expenditure for national accounts purposes. It is expected that full reporting based on the SHA will be available in 2016.

Household Budget Survey, Estimated Private Expenditure on Health by Category, 2010