Sir, - Liz McManus's article on our healthcare system (Opinion, April 12th) indicates a misunderstanding of the position of most people who currently avail of voluntary health insurance.
Most VHI subscribers are not "well off", as described in the article, but are people of modest means who are making a big financial sacrifice to insure themselves and their families.
Take my own case, for example. I am a pensioner who pays almost a fifth of my income for Voluntary Health Insurance. Because of huge rises in annual premiums it is becoming more and more difficult for people like me to continue with health insurance.
The result will be that more and more insurees will leave the VHI and increase the waiting-lists for treatment under the public health system. Surely the aim of any enlightened health policy should be to level up rather than to level down? - Yours, etc., William Sparling,
Kells Road, Athboy, Co Meath.