EmailHospital Circular 2/1997
Date
Issued:
31 January 1997
Publication: 2/1997
Contact: Regional Office
Distribution: Public Hospitals
Subject:
Charging of facility fees
Purpose:
To remind hospitals of Departmental policy on this issue
Under the Hospital Conditions of Funding, public hospitals are required to operate within the Medicare Framework. The Medicare Principles and Commitments for the delivery of public hospital services are enshrined in the Health Services Act 1988.
In particular, your attention is drawn to the requirement that public hospitals must not charge public patients any facility fees linked to the provision of medical services. "Facility fees" include any charges towards booking public patients, meeting administrative costs or public patients' use of the hospital facility.
Public hospitals are allowed to charge facility fees to medical service providers, where private services are being provided from within a public facility.
DR
MICHAEL WALSH
DIRECTOR
ACUTE
HEALTH
