Written answers
Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Department of Health
Debt Collection
Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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718. To ask the Minister for Health the number of debt collectors and or debt collecting agencies engaged by the HSE in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 in respect of the collection of fees and charges on patients; the yield raised by these agents in respect of their tasks; the number that have involved litigation proceedings; the policy in respect of hiring debt collection agents; and if there is a policy in place for providing a system in which a schedule of payments can be set out. [50378/21]
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 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.
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