A

BILL

TO

To properly integrate healthcare outside the scope of Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, to allow for patients to receive funding for private healthcare instead of Health and Social Care Northern Ireland sourced healthcare and, to create a waiting list backstop

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 HSCNI Money Back Scheme

(1) There shall exist a subsidy entitled the “HSCNI Money Back Scheme”.

(2) The “HSCNI Money Back Scheme” shall be a subsidy made payable towards either;

(a) The cost of health insurance for an individual over an annual period, which shall be entitled the “insurance subsidy”

or

(b) The per head funding allocated to any individual treatment, which shall be entitled the “treatment subsidy”.

(3) For the purposes of this act, a treatment eligible for the HSCNI Money Back Scheme shall be any treatment provided for in whole by Health and Social Care Northern Ireland that is not of a purely of a minor, cosmetic nature.

2 Insurance Subsidy

(1) Under the insurance subsidy, an individual may request to have funds made payable at the beginning of a financial year to be paid to a health insurance provider.

(a) An individual may not have the funds withdrawn directly to their person, only to the relevant health insurance provider or associates.

(2) The funds made payable shall be equivalent to the estimated cost of treatment of a person under the areas covered by their insurance over that Financial year.

(3) If a person whom has participated in the subsidy scheme later uses a Health and Social Care Northern Ireland treatment covered under the relevant insurance scheme, a fee shall be levied upon the insurer to be the lesser of either-

(a) the per head funding of that individual treatment by the Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, or

(b) the total subsidy made payable

(4) If a fee is laid under subsection (3) due to the voluntary choice of the patient to seek National Health Service care rather than an equivalent private provision, the insurer may require that fee to be paid by the individual holding the plan.

(5) If a fee is laid under subsection (3) due to an inability of the private healthcare insurer to provide equivalent care within a period of 150% of the waiting list target in England for HSCNI care, the insurer may not levy that fee upon the individual, either directly or indirectly.

3 Treatment Subsidy

(1) Under the treatment subsidy, an individual may request to have funds made payable to a private healthcare provider for an individual or series of treatments.

(2) The funds made payable shall be equivalent to 75% of the per head funding allocated by the Health and Social Care Northern Ireland for the equivalent treatment.

(3) Wherein the average or individually experienced waiting time for that treatment exceeds one and a half times the waiting time target for the National Health Service in England, the funds made payable shall be equivalent to the lower of twice the per head funding allocated by Health and Social Care Northern Ireland for the equivalent treatment or the entirety of the cost of that treatment.

4 Integration of Private Care

(1) There shall be a scheme entitled the “Healthcare Waiting List Options Program”

(2) The scheme’s role shall be to register a patient for private care waiting lists as appropriate concurrently with registration upon waiting lists operated by Health and Social Care Northern Ireland.

(a) Any person within Northern Ireland may opt out from either-

(i) the Healthcare Waiting List Options Program, or

(ii) notification of progress in the scheme prior to exceeding of the waiting time target for an equivalent treatment in England.

(3) The Minister for Health must ensure a database is created that stores private healthcare providers capable of performing treatments available through Health and Social Care Northern Ireland.

(4) Wherein a person is placed upon a Health and Social Care Northern Ireland waiting list and has not opted out of the Healthcare Waiting List Options Program, relevant prviate healthcare providers within the database outlined in section 3 shall be notified to place said person upon their waiting lists.

(5) Wherein private treatment is available for more than a week prior to treatment via Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, the Minister of Health must ensure a letter to inform the patient is sent.

(a) The letter must include-

(i) Information upon the cost of the treatment.

(ii) Information about the patient’s rights through the HSCNI Money Back scheme.

(iii) Details about the private provider whose services are available.

(iv) Information about pursuing the private healthcare options made available.

5 Commencement, and Short Title

(1) This act shall come into immediately upon Royal Assent.

(2) This act shall be known as the Integration of Healthcare Options Bill 2019

This bill was written by the Minister for Health, the Right Honourable Twistednuke OM CT KBE PC QC MP MLA for Belfast West on behalf of the Alliance Party and the Executive of Northern Ireland.