Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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394. To ask the Minister for Health if it is equitable that health insurance companies provide health insurance packages regardless of age or gender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43849/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The inclusion of maternity benefit in all health insurance products is a statutory requirement. It is part of a legal obligation on health insurers to provide a specific minimum level of benefit in all health insurance products sold. Minimum Benefit Regulations, made under the Health Insurance Acts, require insurers to offer a minimum benefit to every insured person. The key purpose of the Regulations is to ensure the continued availability of the type of broad hospital cover traditionally held as a minimum by the insured population and to ensure that individuals do not significantly under-insure.

This approach is designed to be equitable and fair, by ensuring that all consumers obtain an appropriate minimum level of health insurance cover regardless of what plan they purchase. Every plan available is inclusive of the minimum suite of benefits/procedures, some of which are applicable to the whole market and some of which will be applicable specifically to either men or women. For example, the Regulations include provision for such medical treatments as a prostatectomy or testicular biopsy (in the case of men) and cervical biopsy or maternity services (in the case of women).

The health services and procedures provided by minimum benefit should be viewed as a cohort of procedures that are important and of benefit to the community of the insured population, and thus should be protected and provided as a minimum base to all.