Research shows Fine Gael Policy on Health will fail and cost more – Kelleher

“Dr James Reilly is determined to change the Ireland’s health system based on the Dutch model. This is despite research that shows it will cost more and actually make matters worse, Fianna Fáil Health Spokesperson Billy Kelleher has said.

“The Dutch model, according to research in the British Medical Journal, saw the growth of private agencies and it widened the inequalities in the health service. People with disabilities and chronic illnesses find it particularly expensive now under the Dutch model.

The introduction of ‘personal care budgets’ has increased the costs in Holland by at least 23%.  There are now plans to dramatically back-track and reform the system there again by 2014.

Deputy Kelleher said: “Fine Gael & Labour’s plans to introduce universal health insurance here are in chaos. Families and policyholders are abandoning private health insurance due to spiralling prices.  66,000 people abandoned their health insurance cover last year, leading to increased strain on an already overstretched public system.

“With the Government now one year in office what happened to the commitment in the programme for Government to ‘act speedily to reduce costs in the delivery of both public and private health care and in the administration of the health care system.’

Deputy Billy Kelleher has said: “It is time that Minister Reilly listened and learned from independent research on the Dutch model before it is too late. People are already unable to pay for private health insurance because of cost hikes; we do not need to dismantle our health system further.”