Private health insurers to boost department’s coffers

The Department of Health’s finances are to receive a long overdue boost from health insurers under new plans targeting private beds in public hospitals.

Health Minister Dr James Reilly has confirmed that, from Jan 1 next year, all private in-patients who use public hospital beds will be charged a fee that is then paid for by their insurers.

Until now, up to 40% of these patients were able to avoid the charge, representing what the department described as “a significant subsidy given by public hospitals to health insurers”.