The Irish Cancer Society is calling on the Government to abolish inpatient charges in the 2019 Budget.
The charges see patients pay €80 for an inpatient visit, including ‘day cases’ for cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, which only take a few hours. The Society has launched a petition to support its call and is urging the public to get behind its campaign.
Averil Power, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, said high fees are seeing families ‘struggling to make ends meet’.
She said: “Inpatient charges of up to €800 a year can be crippling for families struggling to make ends meet while also trying to cope with the physical and emotional impact of cancer.
“In some cases of ‘excessive hardship’, hospitals may either waive the charge or agree on instalment plans with patients.
“However, these arrangements are at the discretion of the hospital, and it is unclear what constitutes the hardship. This also places an unfair administrative burden on patients on top of an already unfair charge.”
Marie Moran, a breast cancer survivor from Co. Mayo, was diagnosed with cancer when she was 32 weeks pregnant.
“The first I knew of inpatient charges was when the bills arrived. I was in the process of applying for a medical card so, in the hope that it would come through, I didn’t pay the charges.
“When the bills turned into final notices it caused me so much stress and worry at an already difficult time.
“Eventually the hospital agreed to waive the charges, however, I still received a couple of chases up letters demanding payment which was really upsetting and stressful.’
For further information and to sign the online petition visit: cancer.ie/inpatientcharges
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