Dr. Michael McCarthy:

In principle insurers have said publicly that any EMA-approved drugs will be reimbursed privately. There is a big list of about 14 different indications in my area of practice that fall into that category. In my experience, insurers are not living up to their promises. Some insurers are more comprehensive than others. The issue really is that the HSE is almost being outflanked by the pace of development of genuinely groundbreaking improvements in treatment.