Universal health insurance cost 'due in April'
The Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said he hopes to have an outline per-person cost for universal health insurance (UHI) in April.
He told the Dáil he expected an initial report on universal healthcare by April, to include a review of the evidence of the effects on healthcare spending of alternative systems of finance and changes in financing methods of entitlement.
"I'll also estimate the cost of individuals, households and employers and the Exchequer," he said.
He also re-iterated his plan to proceed with free GP care for under 6s and older people this year and to proceed immediately to negotiations for other school children and adults with chronic diseases.
Commercial surrogacy is to be banned in Ireland under new laws.
Meanwhile, Minister Varadkar said that he is drawing up heads of a Bill on assisted reproduction which would see commercial surrogacy banned in Ireland.
The Bill will provide for the appointment of a regulator to promote patient safety and good clinical practice.
They will maintain a register of donors and maintain all records of all assisted reproduction activities.
Although commercial surrogacy would be banned, the surrogate will be allowed to have reasonable expenses reimbursed.
“What is absolutely going to be the case is that we won’t allow surrogacy to happen for money, or for the profit of the individual involved,” he said.
“It’s going to have to be something that’s altruistic.
“Realistically, it could be a sister carrying a child for her sister, or a very good friend, or somebody like that.”
