White Paper on universal health insurance within weeks, says Taoiseach

A White Paper on the Government’s proposed universal health insurance (UHI) scheme will be published “in the next couple of weeks”, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

Mr Kenny told the Dáil that the Government yesterday confirmed the principle of UHI.

“However, there is clearly a need for a process of consultation with the people in order that everybody will understand what is involved.”

Mr Kenny said that under UHI a package of services would be available to people, including access to primary and GP care.

He insisted the Government had not put off making a decision on the introduction of UHI until next year. He could not say what the average cost per package would be because UHI would not be implemented in full for some time.

"I do accept that this is the most radical and fundamental change in the health structures since the foundation of the State. We cannot continue with a system which is inequitable, unfair, penalises those on low incomes and which is costing an extraordinary amount of money."

Delayed
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Mr Kenny had confirmed that a decision on UHI was being delayed.

“You have said you are confirming the concept. But you have confirmed the concept since before the last election . . . money follows the patient, all that kind of soundbite stuff that got you over the last election.”

Mr Martin said he was not the first person to say that UHI would be more expensive for people. "Ministers Noonan and Howlin were the first to raise the red flag on this."

He challenged Mr Kenny to publish the memo circulated to the Cabinet, adding that "if The Irish Times can get it, surely the Dáil can get the memo".

Mr Martin said people should know the potential cost to them, as individuals and families, of such a new system. The Dutch model had increased overall per-capita costs by approximately 46 per cent since its introduction in 2005.

He said the two million people who already had health insurance would face extra costs for the basket of services they enjoyed under their existing health insurance policies. Also, approximately one million people had neither medical cards nor health insurance.

New model
"The Taoiseach needs to be honest and tell the people concerned that they will pay a tax from now on in the context of the new model. We need to be straight with people in that regard."

Mr Kenny said Minister for Health Dr James Reilly had already said UHI could not cost more than the ineffective two-tier system, and the implementation of the programme would be subject to the constraints and ceilings set by the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform.

He did not accept the Government was attempting to put the issue beyond the next general election.

“As I said on many occasions that will be in spring 2016. Long before then people will understand and know that the universal health insurance concept, principle and proposal will be explained to people so that everybody understands the value of having a single-tier system as against a two-tier system.”

He said that during Mr Martin’s time in government health costs had increased by over 320 per cent, from €3.6 billion to over €15 billion, ending up with “nearly a world record of 569 people on trolleys in one day in January 2011”.