‘No plans for mandatory private health insurance’

The Department of Health has denied claims that the Government is planning to force patients to purchase private health insurance for GP services.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has based its claim on a consultation process overseen by the department which invited submissions on how the scope of private health insurance could be extended to cover additional primary care services.

The doctors’ union has interpreted this move as evidence that the Government is “preparing a mandate that will require patients to have health insurance to access certain procedures and services through their GPs”.