Hospital inpatient charges for children are being abolished with immediate effect, the Government will announce on Wednesday.
Up to now, children aged 16 and under were subject to a statutory inpatient charge of €80 a day, subject to a cap of 10 days, or €800, in a year.
The charge most affected low- to medium-income families, as it was waived for medical-card holders and some other groups, while families with private health insurance could recoup much of the cost from their insurer. The abolition of the charge covers both overnight stays and day-case procedures.
Legislation enacted in the summer allowed for the removal of the charge, and last year’s budget included funding for the measure, which is expected to cost under €5 million a year.
Accessing treatment
The Government is expected to argue that the abolition of the charges will help ease the financial burden on parents when their child needs inpatient care. It will also help ensure the cost is not a consideration when parents make decisions about accessing treatment, said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly earlier this year.
The €100 charge for attending a hospital emergency department remains in place and there are no plans to abolish it for fear it would further increase attendances at emergency departments.
The measure is one of several brought forward by the Government to expand affordability of healthcare. Last week, free contraception for women aged 17 to 25 was introduced, and the threshold for the drug payment scheme has been reduced this year.
The Government has also committed to extending free GP care for children aged six and seven this year. Negotiations have begun with the Irish Medical Organisation on the proposed measure.
