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(L to R) David Barry, Consul General of Ireland; Senator Richard T. Moore, and Liz McManus, Member of the Irish Parliament, joined by an aide, met recently to discuss health care reform
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June 13, 2006 - Liz McManus, TD, a member of the Irish Dail, or Parliament, visited Boston recently to learn about the state’s new health care reform initiative. Ms. McManus, who is the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party and the party’s Spokesperson on Health, met with Senator Richard T. Moore, (D-Uxbridge) Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Health Care Financing Committee and one of the principal architects of the landmark Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law. Also participating in the meeting was David Barry, Consul General of Ireland in Boston.
Ms. McManus, who represents Wicklow near Dublin, explained that, while Ireland has a national government sponsored health care system that provides routine and emergency care to all of the country’s citizens, nearly half of the population also purchase private health insurance. She noted that those who can afford private insurance often do so in order to gain prompt access to specialty care and for elective procedures. The Irish are interested in learning more about state health care reforms in the U. S. to see if any ideas might help expand access to care for their entire population.
Massachusetts, under Senator Moore’s guidance, has enacted the most comprehensive health care reforms in the state’s history. Over the next two years, it is expected that virtually every resident of the state will have access to affordable, high quality health insurance coverage.
Ms. McManus also met with Massachusetts Health and Human Services Secretary Timothy Murphy, as part of her visit. Murphy is charged with implementing the new health reform law.
To learn more about Senator Moore’s legislation and his work in the Massachusetts Senate, log onto his web site at www.senatormoore.com
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