Docs' fees down, dental fees up

[Posted: Fri 13/11/2009 by Niall Hunter, Editor]

Doctors' fees are finally starting to come down, but dentists' fees are not decreasing in spite of the worsening recession, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures from the Central Statistics Office.

Newly-published CPI figures for October show that overall health costs increased by 3% in the previous 12 months.

Doctors' fees, including GP and consultant fees, decreased by 1.1% in the 12-month period, while dental fees went up by 2% over the same period.

Dental fees are the only fees under the health heading, other than hospital charges, that have shown an increase in the latest CPI figures.

The statistics show that doctors' fee rates remained static between September and October of this year, as did dental fees.

The October CPI also shows that prescribed drug costs decreased by 2% in the 12 months to October as did the cost of therapeutic appliances and equipment.

The figures also show that  while hospital service fees remained static between September and October, the 12-month increase was 11.7%. These fees would include charges for A&E as well as daily bed charges, which were increased by the Government in January.

Health insurance, which is classified by the CPI under the heading "miscellaneous goods and services" increased by 20.7% in the 12 months to October. Health insurance charges are also expected to see another double figure increase in 2010.

Doctors' fees had continued to increase until recently despite the recession. They went up by 2.2% between July 2008 and July 2009. However, in recent months their fees have started to reduce slightly.

Dental fees, however, have seen no such reduction and are continuing an upward spiral.

The latest CPI figures show that the overall deflation rate in the economy is now 6.6%.

Read more on medical costs here