Health Insurance Fund

WQ.366/2025

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY M.B. ANDREWS OF ST HELIER NORTH

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 6th OCTOBER 2025 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 13th OCTOBER 2025

Question

"Will the Minister advise –

1. whether there are any plans to reduce expenditure from the Health Insurance Fund and, if not, why not; and
2. whether a need for Social Security contributions to rise is anticipated to address any depletion of the Fund's value and, if so, what the timeframe is for any such increase to be implemented?"

Answer

1. There are no projects currently being delivered or planned with the specific objective to reduce spending from the Health Insurance Fund. The Fund currently enables the provision of various benefits, services and initiatives, including free prescription medicines and vaccines, £50.28 contributed to reduce the cost of each GP appointment, free GP appointments for children and students, free medical dressings and free ancillaries to support people who have to monitor glucose levels. These initiatives can achieve savings across the wider health economy by supporting access to care and early intervention.

The proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2026-2029 offers assurance that the current role of the Health Insurance Fund in supporting a range of primary care services will be maintained. The current position is set out in the 2026-2029 Budget as follows:

"The Minister for Health and Social Services is continuing to review the Island's health and care costs, with options for the future funding of our whole health and care system being developed in discussion with the Council of Ministers. These options will include possible reform of the Health Insurance Fund. Whilst the Fund provides ring fenced funding for primary care services, the ring fencing also introduces barriers which can act against the best interests of patients and can create disincentives to the effective use of public money. In the meantime, the current role of the Health Insurance Fund in subsidising the cost of specific primary care services will be maintained"

2. As noted above, the proposed Budget draws attention to the pressures on the Fund and wider health funding and notes that change is needed to provide sustainable funding. A full range of options in respect of sustainable funding options is being led by the Minister for Health and Social Services, in collaboration with the Minister for Social Security and the Minister for Treasury and Resources, with options being prepared for consideration by the incoming Government next year.