Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2015
61. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health when he will publish and act on the results of the costings exercise commissioned by his Department into universal health insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27656/15]
View answerFollowing publication of the White Paper on Universal Health Insurance,a major costing exercise, involving the Department of Health, the ESRI and others, was initiated. The purpose of the exercise is to examine the cost implications of a change to a multi-payer, universal health insurance model, as proposed in the White Paper. Draft results from the initial phase of the costing exercise were presented to me at the end of May. The research underlying these results is still undergoing peer review and is not yet finalised. However, the draft results are already informing deliberation on next steps, including the necessity for further research and cost modelling.
Ultimately, the UHI costing exercise is a major research project with a number of phases. The next phases in the costing exercise are likely to include deeper analysis of the key issue of unmet need and a more detailed comparative analysis of the relative costs and benefits of alternative funding models using bottom-up costing techniques. The draft results from the initial phase, as well as the plans for the next phase of research, will inform discussions with the Taoiseach and the Cabinet Subcommittee on the best long-term approach to achieving universal healthcare.
Finally, I have already indicated that it will not be possible to introduce a full UHI system by 2019, as envisaged in the White Paper. However, I want to emphasise my commitment to universal healthcare and to implementing key health reforms, as set out in the Programme for Government and the White Paper. In particular, I have pushed ahead with critical building blocks for universal healthcare, including the phased extension of universal GP care without fees, improved management of chronic diseases, implementation of financial reforms, including activity-based funding, and the establishment of hospital groups. Indeed, just recently we have seen significant progress in the extension of free GP care to children under six years of age. We will also see the phased expansion of free GP care to those aged over 70 from August. This introduction of universal GP access for the youngest and oldest members of our community is an important step on the path to universal healthcare.
