Age Action is concerned about the delay in the introduction of Universal Health Care, while it welcomes the commitment by the Minister of Health Leo Varadkar TD to universal access to GP services.
With no timescale for the introduction of UHI in place there is a danger that it may never happen.
Older people today need to be able to access a comprehensive health service regardless of their ability to pay for it.
In 2011 11% of older people had no health coverage (TILDA) either by the medical card or private health insurance and following successive budgets reducing access to the medical card for the over 70s this figure may well have risen.
And because health insurance jumped in cost by 62% over the three years from June 2008 to June 2011(TILDA) many older people are now struggling to maintain their coverage