Results 5,081-5,100 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Other Questions: Health Services Provision (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Deputy Kyne made some reasonable points, particularly regarding the delay since 2003 in resolving this matter. I take his comments on board and thank him for raising this matter with his usual assiduousness. We will pursue the matter as he has requested us to do.

Other Questions: Medical Card Data (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Under paragraph 11 of the general medical services or GMS contract, a general practitioner or GP shall provide for eligible persons, on behalf of the HSE, all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a GP and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which GPs cannot reasonably be expected to possess. Under paragraph 27 of the GMS contract, a medical...

Other Questions: Medical Card Data (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: As I said in my reply, we have communicated with the IMO and GP contract holders generally. I have heard of this issue coming up before as parliamentary questions have been tabled about it. The position is very clear in that a person cannot be charged for blood tests in circumstances where it is necessary to assist the process of diagnosis or to monitor a condition that has already been...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I would not misrepresent something. I will tell the truth in my reply.

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: How much time do I have?

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Okay. I wish to address the broad issue of the Government's policy on the development of a universal GP service. I would also like to respond to the suggestion that has been made during this debate that the legislative measure we are discussing is somehow contrary to the Government's policy on the universal GP service. As I have said previously in this Chamber, I do not accept that the...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: We are changing the law to adjust the eligibility for medical cards. I am genuinely interested in people's views. Is it being proposed by Deputy Kelleher or anyone else in the House that we should change the 1970 Act in that radical way to move it away from an assessment of means to an assessment of medical condition? I will not press Deputy Kelleher to respond but if that is the view he or...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Social protection is an interesting example of the choices. We know from the Fianna Fáil numbers in the four year plan prior to the last election that the people were far better advised to choose this Government in respect of social protection. If the party opposite had gone into government, the cuts that would have occurred in social protection - this is from its own words before the...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I can agree to an extent with Deputy Cowen in respect of the discussion on the future and how we approach it. Deputy Cowen probably does have a point with regard to how we all debate and discuss the future, now that we are emerging from the traumatic crisis we have been in for the past number of years. We must think more carefully about what we say we can achieve in the future and what is...

Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill: Referral to Select Committee (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Sub-committee on Health pursuant to Standing Order 82A(3)(a) and (6)(a) and 126(1).

Written Answers — Department of Health: Prescription Charges (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: As announced in Budget 2014, it has become necessary to increase the prescription charge due to the very difficult and challenging economic environment which requires the Government to achieve additional savings in health expenditure with €666 million of savings targeted in 2014. The increase in prescription charges will account for €43 million of this target. The Government is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres Expenditure (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2013 sets out the funding allocations for this year by care group programme. It includes provision of €2,562 million in respect of the Primary Care Reimbursement Service and €400 million for Primary Care services. This is an increase of 1.7% and 7.6% respectively on the 2012 figures. Successful transformation of our health services...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: As part of the Budget 2013 savings measures, payments on a home improvement loan and a €50 per week allowance for a car were excluded from the standard means test assessment. These changes took effect from April last. For clarity, the exclusion from travel to work costs relates to removing the weekly amount of €50 allowed to cover standing charges, such as depreciation or...

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, a universal GP service within its term of office, as set out in the Programme for Government and the Future Health strategy framework. As announced in the Budget, it has been decided to commence the roll-out of a universal GP service by providing all children aged 5 and under with access to a GP service without fees. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services Provision (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Funding for the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) has been capped at the 2008 level of €63million. There are no immediate plans to reverse the changes to the Scheme in the current budgetary climate. The HSE prioritises for treatment patients with special needs, high risk patients and those who have greater clinical needs and will continue to monitor the operation of the DTSS to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Prices (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 29 together. The prices of drugs vary between countries for a number of reasons, including different prices set by manufacturers, different wholesale and pharmacy mark-ups, different dispensing fees and different rates of VAT. The State has introduced a series of reforms in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical prices and expenditure. These have...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: Under Section 45 of the Health Act 1970, as amended, persons who are unable, without due hardship, to arrange a general practitioner service for themselves or their family qualify for a medical card. There is no automatic entitlement to a medical card for persons with a specific illness or disability. Under this legislation, the determination of eligibility for a medical card is the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Reviews (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The figure for probity savings for medical cards was determined by the Government in the context of the overall framing of Budget 2014. The savings will be achieved through identifying any medical card or GP visit card holder who is not entitled to such eligibility in line with the legislation governing the schemes. Under the relevant legislation, a medical card is approved either on foot...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Data (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The HSE already has a system in place with regard to notifications of the death of medical card holders. In 2012, the HSE introduced data sharing with the Death Events Publication Service (DEPS) operated by the General Register Office (GRO). Death events notifications (DEPS) are received by the HSE from the GRO on a weekly basis and loaded to the PCRS payment systems. Medical card...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Eligibility (13 Nov 2013)

Alex White: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to...