President Michael D. Higgins signed a bill into law that will eliminate in-patient fees for children and provide free contraception for women between the ages of 17 and 25.
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.
Currently there is a hospital charge of €80 per night up to a maximum of 10 nights in a 12-month period, while medical card holders and some others are exempt.
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 for Health Stephen Donnelly welcomed the Bill, and said: “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.
Currently, those with a medical card have access to most forms of contraception at minimal cost, subject only to the prescription charge of €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.
The contraception scheme will cover the full cost of prescription contraception, including the cost of:
- necessary consultations with medical professionals to discuss suitable contraception options with individual patients and to enable prescription of same
- fitting and/or removal of various types of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) plus any necessary checks, by medical professionals certified to fit/remove same
- providing the wide range of contraceptive options currently available to GMS (medical) card holders, which will also be available through this scheme, including contraceptive injections, implants, IUS and IUDs (coils), the contraceptive patch and ring, and various forms of oral contraceptive pill, including emergency contraception