Tazz T wrote: » It's essentially a new tax to pay for healthcare. Ridiculous. He seems to be omitting the fact that we already pay this through PRSI. Will this be cut?
Davarus Walrus wrote: » It can't be any worse than the current system where you pay thousands in tax every year for a bloated and inefficient health service, then also have to pay for private health insurance to actually get some use out of it.
Riskymove wrote: » PRSI? No although PAYE and taxation generally is paid into the healthcare service if done correclty (big IF) if everyone had insurance and was treated as a private patient we would need to put a lot less of general taxes into the system of course its still a case of us paying for it and indeed...paying for others etc
Arthur Beesley wrote: » Exactly. If you can afford it, you will pay for yourself and those that can't afford it.
ScumLord wrote: » I not against restructuring the way our health system works, I think it's misleading that some people call it a free health service, it's not. We pay for it now one way or another so if the government want to rearrange the way they collect and pay for the health service I'm not against it. It might be beneficial for the entire country to go through private health insurance. Maybe they'll be better at managing it than the government have been to date. But I think it should be a case we stop paying current taxes and instead get to spend that money directly on our health insurance instead of doubling up on it with a private company. Private companies deal with this stuff on a daily basis, it's their bread and butter, maybe it's time we handed it over to the experts instead of waiting for the government to figure out a way of doing it.
Uriel. wrote: » I look forward to seeing the white paper on this. To try to fix the health system in any country, especially Ireland, is mammoth task. Healthcare has to affordable for the citizen and the state. it has to be quality healthcare - there's no point in abolishing a two tier system to be replaced with a system where everyone has to sit on trollies or wait a year (or more) for important diagnostic and treatment services. Personally, I wouldn't even know where to begin in developing such a coherent and quality system, so it'll be an interesting read as to how this is gonna work and the books or gonna balance.
Riskymove wrote: » yes but in this plan we all pay it (I believe subsidies for low paid workers are included)
Tilly wrote: » My employer pays for mine and if they didn't I wouldn't buy my own so this is totally unfair to those who cannot afford it. Are they going to abolish the property tax and water charges so people can afford it? Nope. Another way to bleed us dry.
Uriel. wrote: » No issue with that in principle. But while the private insurance companies who have the expertise in this area can manage certain parts of the system, the system itself, as in stuff from how hospitals are ran, to doctor's/nurse's wages, the equipment used, the location and amount of hospitals/clinics needs to be better ran too.
quickbeam wrote: » And here's another reason not to vote for this shower next time around!