SCRAP ‘UNFAIR’ CANCER PATIENTS CHARGES

Government is urged to axe fees for sick people in Budget

THE Government should scrap unfair inpatient charges on cancer sufferers in the next Budget, campaigners said yesterday.

Sick people battling life-threatening illnesses are being hammered by up to €1,600 a year, the Irish Cancer Society claims.

And the financial strain is compounded by an average monthly drop of €1,400 in income faced by three in five cancer patients.

ICS spokeswoman Caroline Krieger said: “The Irish Cancer Society will campaign to remove these charges in Budget 2019.

“They place an unfair financial burden on patients undergoing treatment, either as an inpatient or a ‘day case’, at a time when they are dealing with a range of other costs including medication, costs associated with attending appointments, additional childcare, heating and electricity bills, and other one-off costs associated with their diagnosis.”

A charge of €80 a visit, introduced in 2013, is designed to raise additional money for cash-strapped hospitals. It applies to inpatients without a medical card and “day cases”, such as people having chemotherapy, which may only take a few hours.

The charges are capped at 10 visits so can cost up to €800 a calendar year. But a patient whose treatment begins late in the year and runs into the following 12 months may end up paying up to €800 again, depending on how many sessions are required.

Ms Krieger added: “We understand some hospitals exercise discretion in collecting payments in cases of financial hardship.

“Instalment arrangements can be put in place but are at the discretion of the hospital manager or officer designate. It is clear both of these scenarios place an unfair administrative burden on cancer patients.”

The Department of Health said it was “in conttact” with the Irish Cancer Society.