David Stanton
Question:130. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made regarding the provision of universal health insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13701/13]
View answerWednesday, 20 March 2013
Questions (130)
Written answers
The Government is embarking on a major reform programme for the health system, the aim of which is to deliver a single-tier health service, supported by universal health insurance (UHI), where access is based on need, not on income.
Last month (15 February), I published The Path to Universal Healthcare, a preliminary document on UHI which provides a comprehensive update on progress achieved to date and sets out the main actions for the road ahead. As outlined in that document, many of the key building blocks for UHI have been progressed including:
- the drafting of legislation to extend access to GP services without fees to persons with prescribed illnesses;
- the work of the Strategic Board on the Establishment of Hospital Groups, and the significant progress made by the Special Delivery Unit to reduce waiting times for scheduled and unscheduled care;
- the development of a 'Money Follows the Patient' policy which was published on the 15th February, and which heralds a fairer, more transparent means of funding healthcare;
- the approval of national healthcare standards and ongoing work in relation to supporting licensing legislation, and
- the enactment of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2012 providing for a new scheme of risk equalisation for the private health insurance market from 1st January 2013.
The Department is currently undertaking detailed work in relation to the preparation of a White Paper on Universal Health Insurance. The White Paper will provide further detail on the UHI model for Ireland in addition to the estimated costs and financing mechanisms associated with its introduction. The work involved is both complex and technical and demands a wide-range of specialised legal and financial expertise. My Department has recently engaged specialised legal expertise to support deliberations in relation to the design of the UHI model and work in this area is underway. In addition, my officials are currently establishing a UHI Design Team which will oversee progress on the preparation of the White Paper.
The reform programme is a major undertaking that requires careful planning and sequencing over a number of years and full implementation of UHI will take some time to achieve. I anticipate that by 2016 the necessary groundwork will be in place to enable us to phase in implementation of UHI, as promised in the Programme for Government. I should add that it is my intention to consult widely as part of the reform implementation process.
Question No. 131 answered with Question No. 37.
Question No. 132 answered with Question No. 17.