Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As members are aware from the Second Stage debate, the main purpose of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015 is to specify the amount of premium to be paid from the risk equalisation fund in respect of age, gender and level of cover from 1 March 2016 and to revise the stamp duty levy required to fund the risk equalisation credits for 2016. The Bill will set credits for the 60 to 64 age group at zero and increase the credits payable for those aged 65. The Bill also provides for an improvement in the health status measure under the scheme by expanding the setting in which a utilisation credit will be payable. It will now include day case admissions. This increases the support provided by the scheme to less healthy people. The Bill also provides for consequential amendments to the Stamp Duty Consolidation Act 1999 and a technical amendment to the Health Insurance Acts is also included.