Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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366. To ask the Minister for Health the status of public health lists (details supplied). [32362/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Act 1970 (as amended) provides that all persons ordinarily resident in the country are eligible, subject to certain charges, to public in-patient hospital services including consultant services. All persons, accessing public in-patient (including day case) services in a public hospital are liable for the statutory in-patient daily charge of €80 per day up to a maximum of €800 in any period of 12 consecutive months. In addition the Health (Out-Patient Charges) Regulations 2019 provide for the €100 statutory charge for an Emergency Department attendance and the €75 minor injury unit / urgent care centre attendance charge.

There are cohorts of people who are exempt from these charges, including, but not limited to persons with full eligibility, women receiving services in respect of motherhood, children up to the age of six weeks, children suffering from diseases prescribed under section 52 (2) of the Act, and persons receiving services for the diagnosis or treatment of infectious diseases. Persons with private health insurance may wish to use their private health insurance to cover the statutory charges arising from a public hospital service.

Section 55 of the Health Act 1970 (as amended) also provides that the HSE may make available private in-patient services to persons who are not entitled to, or who do not have or have waived their eligibility to public in-patient services. In these circumstances the statutory hospital charges under Section 55 that apply for such an episode of care is set out in the table below and depends on the category of hospital, duration of stay and whether the accommodation was provided in a single or multi-occupancy room. It is also noted that patients opting to be treated privately must also pay the consultant fees associated with their treatment. Patients may seek to use their private health insurance to pay for these costs.