Pressure to introduce universal health insurance rises

Health Minister James Reilly will come under increasing pressure to introduce proposals for universal health insurance as more people are priced out of the private health insurance market, a leading patient advocate has warned.

Chief executive of the Irish Patients’ Association, Stephen McMahon, said people were becoming concerned at their ability to afford cover with spiralling insurance costs.

Mr McMahon said he had received numerous calls from people who had switched to a more affordable insurance plan and then found they were not covered for certain medical procedures.