Health service eligibility income limit
Dr. Browne and other Deputies pressed the Minister to raise the eligibility limit to £9,000. The Minister said the revised scheme would remove the income limit for free public-ward maintenance and raise it to £5,500 for free hospital consultant services; a £9,000 limit would leave only 3–4% excluded but, he argued, would bring financial implications and could lead to extending eligibility to everyone.
asked the Minister for Health if he will increase the income limit for the new health service eligibility scheme to £9,000.
Comment on this
The present income limit for free hospital services is £3,000.
The revised arrangements which I propose to introduce from 6 April will abolish this limit for purposes of free maintenance in public wards of hospitals and will increase the limit to £5,500 for purposes of eligibility for free consultant services in hospital. Before a decision was taken on this limit, I had discussions on a number of occasions with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, who pressed for a higher figure. I carefully considered their representations but consider that a limit of £5,500 is reasonable, bearing in mind the improved arrangements being offered by the Voluntary Health Insurance Board for persons within their schemes.
There is also the additional consideration that for practical purposes the limit for social welfare and health should be the same.
Comment on this
At £9,000 3 or 4 per cent would be excluded. I think the Deputy will agree that if we were to have——
Comment on this
What is the Minister's view on the prohibition that prevents him from extending it to the figure of £9,000? What is the main objection he sees to that?
Comment on this
It is somewhat involved but, as I have said, if one goes to £9,000 one might as well go the whole way. That would have various financial implications of one sort or another. Two Opposition spokesmen and myself discussed this ad nauseum.