asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider extending national health insurance benefits to enable wives and families of contributors to obtain dental and optical treatment in the same way as contributors.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Health Insurance Benefits.
Under the additional benefits scheme of the National Health Insurance Society additional benefits (including dental and optical treatment) are confined to insured persons who are members of the society and satisfy certain qualifying conditions.
The amount available for additional benefits is limited, being determined in each quinquennium following an actuarial review of the finances of the national health insurance scheme. The annual amount determined following the latest review is sufficient to provide additional benefits only for those members of the society who fulfil the special qualifying conditions. In the circumstances, an extension of the benefits to the dependents of members would necessitate even more stringent qualifying conditions, and thus result in further limitation of the number of the contributors themselves who would be eligible for these benefits.
I may add that the scheme of additional benefits, though approved by the Minister for Social Welfare, was framed by the society, in accordance with the provisions of the National Health Insurance Acts.