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Leo Varadkar Photocall Ireland

Is Leo ditching universal health insurance altogether?

The Health Minister still wants universal healthcare but maybe not in the way James Reilly envisioned.

LEO VARADKAR IS examining alternatives to the government’s long-mooted universal health insurance (UHI) model, indicating that the policy championed by his predecessor James Reilly could be ditched.

The Health Minister said today that he wanted to “make it happen” but admitted that alternative approaches to providing universal healthcare in Ireland are being examined.

Varadkar acknowledged the government’s plans for UHI are behind schedule but said the coalition has done more than its predecessor to provide universal access to healthcare, citing the recent introduction of free GP care for children under 6.

His comments follow a story in today’s Irish Times which said the minister had sought new research looking at confining UHI to hospitals and excluding primary care and drug payments.

The government published a white paper on UHI last year when Reilly was still the minister. It envisaged eventually scrapping the current two-tier health system in favour of making everyone pay for their care through an insurance scheme funded by private operators and the state-owned VHI.

‘Make it happen’

Speaking today, Varadkar said that while he wanted to make UHI happen it was important to consider in the funding of any model as to how money would be collected, how it would be spent and ensuring there is enough to meet demand.

“One of the key reforms that really has to happen is activity-based funding so that hospitals are funded based on the work they do, not on block budgets,” he said.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said that Varadkar had asked researchers to look at costing “different degrees of cover for UHI” including confining it to hospital-only care and excluding drugs or primary care.

Health Inspection Schemes James Reilly Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

“For comparative purposes we have also asked the researchers to look at other models of UHI such as single payer insurance, as well as a model funded fully through taxation using social insurance,” they added.

We are also trying to assess the actual cost of meeting unmet demand, because there is no point introducing a new system of health provision unless it satisfies unmet demand.

Despite this, the department said that work on UHI is continuing involving the economic think tank the ESRI, the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) and the accountancy firm KPMG.

“This is a huge piece of work which has generated the need for further research as the Minister wanted several questions answered and different options explored and compared,” a spokesperson said.

Calls to abandon policy

Speaking to reporters in Dublin today, Varadkar said that a model he favoured was one that existed in the past for dental treatment where people got some cost of their bills back  through PRSI.

I’d like to see that restored both for dental treatment and maybe used in primary care as well.

Varadkar intends to finalise a roadmap for universal healthcare with the Taoiseach and the special cabinet sub-committee on health by this summer or early in the autumn.

But Fianna Fáil health spokesperson Billy Kelleher today called on Varadkar to abandon the UHI plans altogether. He accused the government of having no costed health policy.

“It is clear to anyone who has followed his actions since coming into the Department that Leo Varadkar will not be introducing the mandatory health insurance scheme that his party campaigned for ahead of the last election,” he said.

“His plan is clearly to tie it up in reviews and investigations until the next general election comes and he no longer has responsibility for it.”

Read: Universal health insurance by 2019? No chance, says Varadkar

Read: These are the 5 big problems doctors have with ReillyCare

Read: How much will Universal Health Insurance cost you?

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39 Comments
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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:12 PM

    Should have won the All ireland last season. More than likely will this season all things being equal.

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:44 PM

    @Ray Ridge: St Thomas showed the way to beat them. Nullify Philip Mahony in the game and you beat ballygunner. Seemingly their backline is getting on in age, and appears they haven’t really blooded any new backs onto their team over the last five years. Could be found wanting come Munster championship if they beat Abbeyside next week

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:48 PM

    @v5OTKkXN: The frees won it for Thomas’s. Of which several were of the soft nature. Granted, munster will be hard won. Some very good teams in it. Na piarsaigh to name just one.

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:54 PM

    @Ray Ridge: a score is a score whether from a placed ball or from play. Frees are winning most matches these days. Whoever comes out of Limerick will have a big say this year. Those extra few weeks for the county stars to be back with clubs will make a big difference

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:58 PM

    @v5OTKkXN: Thomas took a heavy beating in Galway championship tonight. Only second round of group games however.

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:01 PM

    @Ray Ridge: maybe I’ll be proved wrong but I don’t see them do two all irelands in a row. Ballyhale will be chomping at the bit in kk and Leinster this year

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:06 PM

    @v5OTKkXN: Thomas won’t be winning back to back all Irelands Jed. That’s a cert.

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:14 PM

    @Ray Ridge: who do ya think will reign in Galway this year?

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    Mute Square
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:15 PM

    @Ray Ridge: Ah tweedle dom and dee

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:18 PM

    @v5OTKkXN: I fancied Clarenbridge the last couple of seasons, but they didn’t deliver, but maybe with Donoghue back with them, they might do it this year. Loughrea, Turloughmore and of course Thomas’s are the obvious contenders.

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:31 PM

    @Ray Ridge: could you ever see the Galway champs go into Leinster club championship like the county team

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    Mute Cian O
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:33 PM

    @Square: talk about dumb and dumber.

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:41 PM

    @v5OTKkXN: There’s certainly an argument for it for. Would probably need to do the same with Antrim and Derry champions.

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 8:52 PM

    @Ray Ridge: I’d say as long as it remains a knockout championship both Galway champs and ulster teams would prefer it to remain the same, but if it became a round robin that might entice them to think differently

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    Mute Square
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    Aug 25th 2024, 9:55 PM

    @Cian O: oh yes

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 10:26 PM

    @Square: goone full circle deep in there with CianO young man.

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    Mute Square
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    Aug 25th 2024, 10:29 PM

    @v5OTKkXN: i like my liverpool fans

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 10:35 PM

    @Square: what about the small ball game fans? Which of them ya like?

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    Mute Mick O'K
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:05 PM

    Split Ballygunner in two for the love of the game!

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:10 PM

    @Mick O’K: was about to say split them into four

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    Mute David Jackman
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    Aug 25th 2024, 10:59 PM

    @Mick O’K: why

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 11:15 PM

    @David Jackman: there been talk that the club numbers are far exceeding the opportunities for players especially in underage teams. Could be a bit like when roanmore formed in the 70’s when they broke away from Mount Sion due to same reasons

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    Mute Niall McCarthy
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:13 PM

    Where is ballygunner

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    Mute v5OTKkXN
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    Aug 25th 2024, 7:58 PM

    @Niall McCarthy: ballygunner is a townsland in eastern Waterford, ruled by the O Sullivan clan. That dynasty may be crumbling like the USA these days with the sending off last week of Shane O Sullivan and this week of Darragh O Sullivan. Their nephews thought, the O Mahonys may be the next rulers of the iron throne, with their cousins the Fitzgerald lad and the Foley lad as their henchmen. Time will tell

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    Mute David Jackman
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    Aug 25th 2024, 11:02 PM

    @v5OTKkXN: all of them a family a 6th or 7th generation from Ballygunner.

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    Aug 25th 2024, 11:08 PM

    @David Jackman: would ballygunner be an old Viking settlement there in Waterford David? Would the old meaning Baiile mhic Gunnar be the town of the son of Gunner?

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