Universal health insurance scheme scrapped for being too costly

Universal health insurance has been effectively scrapped after the newly appointed Health Minister Simon Harris has been told it is too costly to implement.

In a briefing document prepared for Mr Harris, Department of Health officials have warned that universal health insurance “is likely to increase the health expenditure” and these costs are “not acceptable”.

It is understood that Mr Harris is in favour of putting all major decisions “on pause” but agrees with the model of universal healthcare advocated by former minister Leo Varadkar.