From Department of Health
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The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly today welcomed the signing into law by President Michael D. Higgins of the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Act 2022.
Once commenced, the Act will provide for the abolition of both overnight and day case public in-patient charges for children less than 16 years of age in all public hospitals and also provides for the introduction of a free contraception scheme for women aged 17-25. The 2 measures are scheduled to come into operation by early September this year.
Minister Donnelly recently brought the Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas and it successfully passed all stages of the Dáil and the Seanad last week with cross-party support.
Minister Donnelly said:
"I welcome the good news that the President has signed this very important Act, as the measures provided in this legislation are very much intended to support access to care for those who need it in a manner that is fair and affordable.
"Abolishing acute in-patient hospital charges for children under 16 is focused towards easing the financial burden of parents or guardians when bringing their child to hospital for in-patient care. Free contraception is a cost-effective measure, reducing both crisis pregnancy and termination of pregnancy rates. Given that the costs of prescription contraception are typically faced by women, the scheme will impact positively on gender equity, reducing costs for women, but also benefitting their partners and families, starting with women aged 17-25.
"In the context of current cost-of-living challenges, I am delighted to be able to introduce these 2 significant measures aimed at alleviating cost pressures for individuals and families when seeking to access healthcare."
In-Patient Charges: Currently public patients (including children) are subject to a statutory public in-patient charge of €80 per night, up to a maximum of 10 nights (€800) in a 12-month period. Medical card holders and other certain specific classes of persons are exempt from these charges. Legislative amendments were required to the Health Act 1970 to abolish the public in-patient charge for children under 16 years of age.
Contraception: Those with full eligibility for a GMS (medical) card already have access to most forms of contraception at minimal cost (subject only to the prescription charge; €1.50 per item, up to a maximum of €15 per month), while those with a GP visit card are supported to some extent, as the necessary consultations are free of charge. Patients holding a GP Visit Card receive consultations, fittings and checks free of charge. Furthermore, the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS), for which anyone ordinarily resident in Ireland is eligible, covers the cost of prescription items, including LARCs, above a limit of €80 per month.
However, it has been recognised that the cost of accessing contraception, particularly for those who may still be dependent on parents or guardians, or who may be just above the means tested thresholds for the GMS and GP Visit cards, may impose a significant barrier to access; costs for the Pill and similar repeat prescription contraceptives can therefore be estimated at €65-100 every six months, and the initial costs of long-acting reversible contraception, including consultation, purchase of the device and fitting, typically range from €250-€320. If the costs of removal are also included, the costs rise to €340-€470.
The contraception scheme will cover the full cost of prescription contraception, including the cost of:
The design of citizen engagement information and publicity campaigns to support and promote the roll out of the scheme will be finalised in the coming weeks.