Health Care Coverage in Dublin, Ireland
Locals were happy to talk about their health care coverage in pubs across Dublin. In a country with six million people, here’s what they had to say.
How do the Irish get their health care? They get it in public and private systems. Unlike many European countries, it’s not considered universal coverage, as defined by the World Health Organization, because of the two distinct systems, as well as people’s out-of-pocket expenses.
What is a public health care system? It’s a network of hospitals and clinics that are operated and generally owned by a government entity and medical providers who work for or contract with the same entity. In Ireland, the entity is the Health Service Executive. (1)
Who is eligible for the public system? Anyone who qualifies as a resident of Ireland, as well as individuals with a European Health Insurance Card. Low income, disabled, elderly, and other individuals may qualify for a Medical Card, which enables them to receive free care.
What about private health insurance? Half of all Irish buy supplemental private coverage through the Irish Health Insurance Authority, a government regulatory agency. People shop for carriers, products and premiums on an online enrollment platform. (2)
Why do people buy private coverage? During the financial crisis in 2008, the Irish government reduced services and increased out-of-pocket costs for care in public facilities. Private insurance helps to eliminate the wait times for and reduce the cost of medical care.
How much does Ireland spend on health care? In 2017, total expenditure per capita was $5,449 in Ireland and $10,209 in the U.S. Likewise, the percentage of GDP on health care was 7.8 percent and 17.2 percent, respectively. (3)
How is health care paid for? The public system is financed through taxes (70%) and individual out-of-pocket expenses (30%). The private system is paid for through insurance premiums and direct payments paid by individuals. (3)
What else? The Irish government developed a plan to create a universal single-tiered health care system. The plan, which included a 10-year implementation plan, is reportedly on hold given financial issues and political changes. (4)
It’s reasonable to expect that any major change to the U.S. health insurance system would also take 10 years to implement and subject to similar financial and political challenges. In the meantime, the Irish are mastering health insurance.
Sources:
- Health Service Executive (HSE) Ireland at https://hse.ie/eng/
- The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) at https://www.hia.ie/
- Health at a Glance 2017 (https://stats.oecd.org) and Ireland Country Health Profile 2017
- Sláintecare Report