Written answers
Tuesday, 9 October 2018
Department of Health
Hospital Charges
Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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336. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which he will abolish inpatient charges for patients receiving treatment for cancer; when these charges will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41095/18]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all people ordinarily resident in the country are entitled, subject to certain charges, to public in-patient hospital services including consultant services and to public out-patient hospital services. Under the Health (Amendment) Act 2013, a person who has been referred to a hospital for an in-patient service, including that provided on a day case basis, will have to pay the statutory daily charge, currently €80 per day, up to a maximum of €800 per year. Such charges do not apply to medical card holders.
On this basis, where treatment for cancer is classed as a day case procedure and is not carried out in an out-patient setting, the public in-patient charge applies.
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