Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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437. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the April 2014 White Paper on universal health insurance; if this represents current policy on the health service; his views on a multi-payer model of universal health insurance; when will he produce a Green Paper on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40491/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to a major programme of health reform, the aim of which is to deliver universal healthcare, with access to quality services based on need and not ability to pay.

In April 2014, the White Paper on Universal Health Insurance was published. It proposed a competitive, multi-payer model of universal health insurance (UHI) as the means to achieve universal healthcare. Following publication of the White Paper, the Department of Health initiated a major costing project, involving the ESRI, the Health Insurance Authority and others, to examine the cost implications of a change to a multi-payer model, as proposed in the White Paper.

This initial costing project has now been completed and the underlying reports are about to be published. The results of the project are informing deliberation on next steps, including the need for further research and cost modelling. The next phases in the costing exercise are likely to include deeper analysis of the key issue of unmet need and a more detailed comparative analysis of the relative costs and benefits of alternative funding models to support universal healthcare.

When I assumed the Office of Minister for Health, I concluded that, whilst progress had and was being made in relation to the programme of health reform, the original timeline for implementation of UHI was too ambitious. However, I also emphasised my commitment to progressing health reform. I am determined to push ahead as quickly as possible with key reforms such as the phased extension of GP care without fees, the establishment of Hospital Groups, the implementation of activity-based funding and the improved management of chronic diseases. These are all major milestones on the road to universal healthcare and are also important initiatives in their own right with the potential to drive performance improvement and deliver significant benefits in terms of timely access to high quality care.

The recent extension of GP care without charge to children under 6 years of age and to adults aged 70 and over represents the first concrete step on the path to universal healthcare enabling over 300,000 more people to access GP care without having to pay fees.