Irish Health Care System Analysis

The aim of this essay is to take a look at the current Irish health care system and to compare it with a universal health care (UHC) system. The first half of this essay will investigate the main features of the Irish health care system that is in place at the moment. The second half will explain the main aspects in a UHC model. The Netherlands, Germany and Sweden’s health care systems will also be looked at to further explain what a universal health care involves. From examining the three of these countries and also from looking at the benefits and disadvantages of both systems, a conclusion will be drawn up as to whether Ireland is better off sticking to the current health care system that is in place or if UHC would be more beneficial and
It consists of a public sector and a private sector. The public sector is run by the government. Everyone is entitled to free public health care. There is no specific health tax that one has to pay, the government just allocate a certain amount of the budget towards healthcare. Free health care unfortunately does not mean all treatments are actually free. Examples of costs that one still must pay are the following. You must still pay for GP care. This roughly costs an individual €50 per visit. If you are admitted to hospital you must pay €75 per night with a maximum fee of €750 in a 12 month period. Also, if you are admitted to the accident and emergency department, a fee of €100 is required. Other fees also apply depending on the treatment that you received. Those who cannot afford to pay for these services can apply for a medical card. The Government have this scheme in place for low income earners. A medical card entitles a person to free GP care, free prescriptions, dental, optical and aural care. A means test is conducted to decide whether a person qualifies for one. Factors such as your income, family size, savings, and property that you own are all taken into consideration. To apply for one it is as simple as filling out a form online. This scheme is beneficial in making sure that low income earners can still avail of healthcare services. It is worth noting here that half of the Irish population hold a
“The main function of private health insurance is to provide a private alternative to the universal entitlement to public hospital services. This private alternative can include services in private hospitals, or private beds in public hospitals”. (Colombo and Tapay, 2004). 43.8% of the Irish population have PHI. This says a lot about the public health care system. Without even knowing the major facts about the healthcare system in Ireland, it is clear that it is not effective if nearly half of the population feel the need to purchase PHI. The main insurer in Ireland is VHI and it is a public company run by the state. VHI accounts for 54% of the private health insurance market. Laya healthcare have 23%, Aviva have 15% and Glohealth have 5% (HIA, 2014). One may wonder why there is a need to have PHI when the government already has a public system in place. Some of the main reasons people decide to purchase PHI are because mainly it is quicker. People are aware that the waiting lists in the public system are ridiculously long and unfair and they have a better chance of receiving treatment if they have it. People who can afford it tend to just purchase it for a sense of security. The overall image of the public healthcare system is poor therefore people feel they will receive better care with it. Those who are well-educated, especially those educated in the area of healthcare and insurance, are also