Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is a fundamental shift in the principle underpinning health insurance in terms of risk equalisation and intergenerational solidarity. The Schedule outlines the amounts applicable after 1 April 2017. There is an issue if we consistently reward insurers to ensure they do not cherry-pick. Has there been any policy discussion about the issue of rewarding insurers that take on high risk types? The Minister referred to chronic illness. There is little in the current set-up that incentivises or even encourages insurers to take on these cohorts. If we continue to use age as the means of assessing how money is paid from the Central Fund, there might be a logic to examining this issue. A broader policy decision would be required and it would not come under this legislation. Has there been any discussion anywhere about looking beyond age cohorts to other categories to encourage insurers to take on people on the basis of illness?