Hospital fees to rise August 1 | Free healthcare still in place for some patients

The Ministry of Health said there will be an increase in user fees for services provided to non-residents, private patients, and patients with health insurance at all public health facilities effective August 1, 2018.

Public patients without health insurance will not be affected, as they will continue to benefit from the no-user fee policy, which was implemented under the Bruce Golding government.

The health ministry, in a media release yesterday, said: “Jamaicans who do not fall in any of the above mentioned categories, that is, public patients without health insurance, will continue to access the public health services without charge, in keeping with the abolition of user fees for public health facilities that took effect in 2008.”

The ministry, headed by Dr Christopher Tuton, further stated that the increases were previously approved by Cabinet and gazetted in the National Health Services (Fees) Amendment Regulations 2016.

It said: “Some of the increased fees for hospital services include registration for General Medical visits from $1,500 to $3,000, and Specialty Clinics from $3,500 to $7,500; morgue services from $1000 per day to $2,000 per day; and ICU from $5,000 to $10,600 per day.

“There is also an increase in the fees for food handlers permits, up from $500 to $1,000,” added the health ministry.

It said the full schedule of increases are contained in the Regulations, which can be accessed through the Government Printing Office, the Ministry of Health’s four regional health authorities, or any local public hospital.

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