Sir, - The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has refused an increase to the VHI on the grounds that it would further exacerbate the already high inflation rate. At the same time, the Minister for Finance is fighting a rearguard action in trying to explain how he got it disastrously wrong forecasting inflation. He was confident back in February that it would now be 3 per cent and reducing towards the year end, instead of the current 5 per cent and rising. The unions are getting restless and the EU has told him: "We told you so". To pump more money into an already over-heated economy in the next budget would be a grave mistake, no matter how popular with an unthinking electorate.
However, the Minister for Health has an ideal opportunity to help out in this situation and at the same time correct a wrong on those who have paid a health contribution since starting work. Over the years these same people, out of choice or necessity, have had to resort to private medicine for treatment. There was a time when the Department of Social Department paid the public ward contribution towards the total bill, presumably on the grounds that, having paid for it, the patient was entitled to it, regardless of where the treatment took place.
Not any more. It was the Fianna Fail government of the day which, with typical stroke politics, decided that those who could afford private medicine cover could surely afford to pay the full bill with no help from the State. After all, they figured that those in the VHI were all wealthy people and the money saved would be used to help the lower paid who have to depend on public ward treatment. And we all know what that is like. It goes a long way in explaining why so many have taken out private medicine cover. But why should they be penalised for doing this?
I raised this matter some years ago in a letter to The Irish Times and asked the question if what took place was constitutional. I pose the question again. If one takes out insurance cover for whatever reason, it follows that one expects to be reimbursed when a claim is made. I used the analogy of a house insurance company refusing to meet an agreed claim when it discovered that you decided to pay out of your own pocket to have additional work done on your home at the time of the repair.
In the present climate the Government can right a wrong by restoring the State's contribution to those who opt for private medicine for treatment. This would not be inflationary and would remove the need for a VHI price rise. - Yours, etc.,
Brendan M. Redmond, Hazelbrook Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W.