Health insurance – where are the refunds?

Sir, – Our healthcare providers have promised rebates for the essential handing over of our private hospitals to the public during this crisis. In fairness, no right-minded policyholder would have an issue with this move, although questions may be asked why our public hospitals were not better prepared.

I’m an Irish Life Health customer and have four family members on our policy. Some weeks ago, it stated that it will be issuing refunds of various sizes (depending on policy) for April, May and June. I expected my payment to be reduced or a refund received beginning with April, as it was actually March when measures were put in place to use the private facilities for public patients. Not so. Full payment was taken in March and April, and I’m now told that full payment will also be taken in May.

I’ve also been told that some time in June a refund will be applied to my account but Irish Life Health cannot tell me when and how much that will be, just that it will be between 33 per cent and 60 per cent. .

How can an institution of this size be so vague? It is certainly not vague when taking our premiums.

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It is providing practically no service for full payment.

It’s now that I and other customers need financial relief, not in the months to come. I’m just wondering when Irish Life Health became a bank? – Yours, etc,

EAMON KEARNEY,

Dublin 13.