Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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On a point referred to by the Minister in response to Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, we must accept there is a complete proliferation of health insurance policies. Perhaps it is because I am spokesperson on health, but we are daily getting calls, letters or e-mails from people who, when they avail of their private health insurance, are being informed they have to make a partial payment, which they previously would not have thought of.

There is something of a campaign to ask people to consider other insurance policy cover but, if they do take it out, they find there is a reduction in the cover. Surely the Health Insurance Authority has an obligation in this regard. While it has a great website and people can make comparisons on it, if we are to have a health insurance market, everyone should at least be able to understand what is being covered. It is impossible for a person to assess all the various policies that are out there and find the option that suits them most. Among some health insurers, and in some policies with all health insurers, there seems to be a reduction of cover for people when they most need it. For example, as people get older, it is more likely they will need cover in the area of ophthalmology and orthopaedics.

I would like to know if the Government Members are hearing of this level of concern because we certainly detect it is becoming a big issue. I would imagine it is primarily because people revisited their health insurance policies during the difficulties of the economic downturn, when, rather than dropping their health insurance completely, they may have been encouraged to change policy. I wonder whether they were given a full explanation of the cover they are entitled to. We now have many cases where people are paying for overnight stays in private hospitals or are being charged €350 or €400 for four hours of treatment, whereas, until recently, their health insurance would have covered that. Is the Government detecting this as an issue? If so, it really should be addressed so the health insurance market is seen to have absolute integrity in terms of how it promotes its products. If insurers do not promote them with that type of integrity, there should be some sanction but I do not believe there is such a sanction at the moment.