The Health Minister has signalled the Government may back down on plans for Universal Health Insurance - and provide refunds for GP and dentist instead.
Leo Varadkar was speaking at MacGill Summer School in Co Donegal - where he said UHI has been a ‘much bigger project’ than anyone thought it would be - and he couldn’t guarantee it would be introduced even in the lifetime of the next government.
He said that funding and financial systems are not able to handle extending universal healthcare to hospitals.
Leo Varadkar has suggested PRSI and USC could be used to fund primary care visits.
The Minister also discussed the issue of prescription charges which he claims are too high He announced that a new scheme is needed.
He says negotiations have begun on a new contract to buy medicines.
