Campaign Outline

Parallel Health Insurance?

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:59:09 +0000

Dr. John Barton, consultant in Portiuncula hospital, has argued in a recent Irish Times letter that subsidising parallel health insurance in Ireland is contrary to the spirit and principles of the department of health. Essentially tax payers are subsidising wealthier members of society for better access to healthcare.
Private medicine is not entirely parallel however. Access is the biggest problem in Irish medicine, once in the ‘system’ patients standard of care is generally high. Many private patients will initially see a private consultant, but then avail of the public system for more resource intensive interventions. A more equitable way would be that if investigation is initiated in the private sector then everything should be done privately. Their insurance is buying them early access - once diagnosed it is also buying them preferential treatment in the public system.

Parallel Health Insurance?

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 20:53:25 +0000

Dr. John Barton has argued in a recent Irish Times letter that subsidising parallel health insurance in Ireland is contrary to the spirit and principles of the department of health. Essentially tax payers are subsidising wealthier members of society for better access to healthcare.
Private medicine is not entirely parallel however. Access is the biggest problem in Irish medicine, once in the ‘system’ patients standard of care is generally high. Many private patients will initially see a private consultant, but then avail of the public system for more resource intensive interventions. A more equitable way would be that if investigation is initiated in the private sector then everything should be done privately. Their insurance is buying them early access - once diagnosed it is also buying them preferential treatment in the public system.

New campaign launched to lobby for more equitable access to healthcare in Ireland

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 20:46:43 +0000

Irelands system of paying for health is unique, and is among one of the more unfair systems in Europe. While a free hospital system is available, 70% of the population must pay to attend a GP or A+E department. About half the population have health insurance which allows quick access to private health care and subsidises GP costs. The government has been subsidising health insurance uptake and private hospital buildings with a view to improving overall health.
But healthcare where access is patchy never gives good outcomes.
We are asking the government to stop subsidising private healthcare - to focus instead on creating a better public health system.
We are interested in a ‘social insurance’ system where every citizen buys insurance (if they can afford to ) which entitles them to free primary and hospital care.
Systems like this have been shown to give better outcomes, better value for money and are also fairer.