Dáil Éireann - Volume 377 - 02 February, 1988 - Written Answers. - Drugs Refund and Long Term Illness Schemes.


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Dáil Éireann - Volume 377 - 02 February, 1988

Written Answers. - Drugs Refund and Long Term Illness Schemes.

Mr. R. Bruton Mr. R. Bruton

125. Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the cost of the drugs refund scheme and the long term illness card in 1987; his provision for these schemes in the estimates for 1988.

Mr. R. Bruton Mr. R. Bruton

126. Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of expenditure under the drugs refund scheme indicating the number of monthly claims and the total amount paid in respect of these claims in the following ranges: (1) £28 to £32 (2) £32 to £36 (3) £36 to £40 (4) £40 to £44 (5) £44 to £50 (6) £50 to £60 and (7) over £60.

Mr. R. Bruton Mr. R. Bruton

127. Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the expenditure in 1987 on the long term illness scheme indicating the amount claimed by persons suffering from different illnesses.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon) Rory O'Hanlon

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon): I intend to take Questions Nos. 125, 126 and 127 together.

747

1987 returns for the Drugs Refund and Long Term Illness schemes are not yet available. The most recent data to hand in respect of the schemes refers to the [747] calendar year 1986. The total cost of each scheme in 1986 is as follows:

Scheme	Cost
	(£m)
Drugs Refund	9.62
Long Term Illness	8.62

748

[748] The global provision for the schemes in 1988 is at the same level as in 1987 i.e. some £19 million in all. The following table indicates the profile of refunds paid by each health board in 1986 under the Drugs Refund Scheme.

Profile of Refunds Paid by each Health Board — 1986.

(as % of all refunds paid)

% rounded

Health Board	up to £10 (incl.)	over £10 less than £10	£20-£30 inclusive	over £30 and less than £40	£40-£50 inclusive	over £50
	%	%	%	%	%	%
Eastern	15	19	16	11	38
Midland	17	21	15	12	9	26
Mid-Western	18	20	17	11	9	25
North-Eastern	14	22	14	12	6	31
North-Western	15	18	17	12	10	27
South-Eastern	19	22	17	12	8	23
Southern	15	20	18	13	9	25
Western	29	16	17	11	9	19

The refund profile returns are prepared by health boards on the basis of £10 refund increments, indicating the % of all refunds in each such increment. These cannot be readily recast to the particular increments suggested by the Deputy's question. Similarly, the total amount paid out in each refund increment category is not submitted by Boards. However, I attach a table indicating the total number of refunds paid by each Board, and the cost of the Refund scheme in each health board area, in 1986.

Health Board	Refunds	Cost of Scheme (rounded)
		£
Eastern	102,866	4,808,000
Midland	8,003	277,000
Mid-Western	15,728	658,000
North Eastern	14,138	630,000
North Western	7,275	293,000
South Eastern	20,716	730,000
Southern	40,490	1,625,000
Western	13,438	621,000
National	222,654	9,642,000

The following table sets out the estimated expenditure for each condition covered by the Long Term Illness scheme, in 1986.

Condition	Number of patients in Scheme 1986*	Estimated expenditure in 1986 £'000 (rounded)
Mental Handicap	2,666	102,000
Mental Illness	146	13,000
PKU	309	994,000
Cystic Fibrosis	704	645,000
Spina Bifida	1,060	154,000
Hydrocephalus		9,000
Cerebral Palsy	903	60,000
Haemophilia	191	207,000
Epilepsy	11,895	968,000
Diabetes	18,722	4,718,000
Multiple Sclerosis	1,044	238,000
Muscular Dystrophies	258	19,000
Parkinsonism	1,441	401,000
Acute Leukaemia	383	96,000
Total	39,728	8,624,000

Dáil Éireann 377 Written Answers. Drugs Refund and Long Term Illness Schemes.

Questions

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