Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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271. To ask the Minister for Health the functions of the various organisations which will run the proposed UHI system; the projected budget for each organisation; the overall projected cost per annum of running UHI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10275/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Government is embarking on a major reform programme for the health system, the aim of which is to deliver a single-tier health service, supported by universal health insurance (UHI), where there is fair access to services based on need, not on ability to pay. The White Paper on Universal Health Insurance will provide details on the various organisations and their functions that will be integral to the delivery of UHI. It will also provide more detail on the overall design of the model, the standard package of services, funding mechanisms and the key stages of the journey to UHI. I intend to publish the White Paper on UHI very shortly.

It is not possible at this stage to make a determination on the costs for each organisation or the overall projected cost in the running of the UHI system. Calculating the cost of UHI is a complex matter and is dependent on a number of critical and interdependent variables such as: demand for and utilisation of healthcare, service delivery models, payment systems, services to be provided by the UHI standard package of care as well as the regulatory and administrative costs. Developing overall costings for UHI, including administration costs, will require expert analytical support and time to undertake. My officials will be progressing work in regard to these costings during 2014.