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Increase in subsidies for patients treated off island

The Government will now pay half-board in an hotel for the patient and one companion, plus a meal allowance of 10 euros per day, flight fares and taxis

Son Dureta. The university hospital in Palma which treats many Menorcan patients

C.M.W. Maó08/03/10 0:00

IB-Salut patients who have to travel off the island to either Mallorca or the mainland for medical treatment and who have to stay for one or more nights will now have half-board hotel accommodation paid for by the Balearic Government, as will one person accompanying them. In addition they will receive a cheque for 10 euros per day for meals.

In the case of patients who have to make a day trip for a consultant's appointment or tests, a daily meal allowance of 13.95 euros will be made to them and one companion.

The Government will continue to pay the full cost of plane or boat fares and, in addition, will pay towards the cost of transport between the airport or port and hospital or clinic; patients travelling to one of the other islands will be given 14 euros and those travelling to the mainland, 16 euros (in place of the 5.79 euros and 8.10 euros respectively paid until now).

The act passed on Friday will increase the subsidies currently paid by 30% and will cost the Government 2 million euros per year (600,000 euros more than at present). The Regional Health Minister, Vicenç Thomàs, calculates that more than 38,000 patients in the Balearic Islands will benefit from this. Last year a total of 38,418 people had to travel off-island for medical treatment; 12,924 from Menorca, 11,736 from Ibiza, 8,348 from Formentera and 5,411 from Mallorca.

Outpatients having a day's treatment will receive a voucher for 13.95 euros for meals, while those who have to stay for several days will be given a daily cheque for 29.02 euros to cover board and lodging.

The Regional Minister for Health stressed that the new act means that patients will no longer have to pay for the board and lodging themselves before reclaiming it from the Balearic Government.

Patients' journeys to Son Dureta Hospital in Palma or to hospitals or clinics on the mainland, usually in Cataluña, Madrid or Valencia, are necessary as there are insufficient patients to ensure quality care in some treatments, operations and diagnostic tests.