Women experiencing symptoms of menopause will be invited to apply for free hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from January onwards, under plans due to be approved by Cabinet on Tuesday.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly previously announced that as part of Budget 2025, the State would pay the cost of HRT products when they are prescribed and certified as clinically appropriate.
He said it could save women between €360 and €840 a year based on current monthly payments. Mr Donnelly will tell Cabinet today that he will start the free HRT products from January 2025, with the scheme underpinned in legislation. This will be done through a committee-stage amendment to the annual Health Insurance Bill, which is expected to pass the Oireachtas in the coming weeks.
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In the meantime, Mr Donnelly will ask the State’s legal advisers to urgently draft the necessary amendment to allow for the free HRT scheme to be enacted.
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If legislation is not passed before then, free HRT can still be provided for on an administrative basis. This could happen if, for example, Taoiseach Simon Harris calls a snap general election in the coming weeks.
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