Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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442. To ask the Minister for Health the gross sum of in-patient charges charged by the HSE across all hospitals in 2020. [49032/21]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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443. To ask the Minister for Health the total sum of in-patient charges successfully collected by the HSE across all hospitals in 2020. [49033/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 442 and 443 together.

Patient charges, including the statutory in-patient daily charge, are a key element of the overall funding envelope of the Irish health system and are taken into account when agreeing the Annual Estimates and the subsequent preparation of the annual National Service Plan.

These charges typically include:

- Out-patient charges;

- Emergency Department charges;

- Daily in-patient charges; and

- Long-term stay charges.

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. There are no plans to review the list of exemptions to the statutory in-patient charge.

In addition, patients who opt for private in-patient services in public hospitals are liable for a range of private accommodation charges. There are no exemptions from these charges.

Non collection of debts owed directly impacts on the affordability of services provided by the Health Service Executive in any year. It is therefore incumbent on the HSE to take all reasonable steps to pursue amounts owed for services delivered. Debt collection agencies are engaged when normal billing arrangements have been unsuccessful.

The operational detail of this question is a matter for the HSE and I have asked them to respond to you directly in relation to that detail.

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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444. To ask the Minister for Health if he will investigate the use of debt collection agencies to retrieve due in-patient charges from cancer patients; and if he will review the use of these agencies and consider an alternative. [49034/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Patient charges are a key element of the overall funding envelope of the Irish health system and are taken into account when agreeing the Annual Estimates and the subsequent preparation of the annual National Service Plan.

These charges typically include:

- Out-patient charges;

- Emergency Department charges;

- Daily in-patient charges; and

- Long-term stay charges.

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.

In addition, patients who opt for private in-patient services in public hospitals are liable for a range of private accommodation charges. There are no exemptions from these charges.

Non collection of debts owed directly impacts on the affordability of services provided by the Health Service Executive in any year. It is therefore incumbent on the HSE to take all reasonable steps to pursue amounts owed for services delivered. Debt collection agencies are only engaged by the HSE when normal billing arrangements have been unsuccessful.