Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The specific issue I want to raise with the Minister of State is something that has come to my attention recently. People who take out private health insurance go through a checklist with the insurance company and are asked which tertiary hospital they are most likely to attend. People like me from Roscommon will be asked whether we want to go to Galway or Dublin and a number of private hospitals are listed. It has recently come to my attention that the insurance companies do not provide cover in all of the model 2 hospitals. I can understand with regard to a model 4 hospital if people want expert care for a heart attack they are asked whether they would go to the Mater Hospital, the Beacon Hospital, the Galway Clinic or the Blackrock Clinic but the insurance companies should not refuse cover in small hospitals such as those in Ennis, Roscommon, Mallow or Bantry. People should automatically get cover in these hospitals.

I presume the reason the insurance companies are selective is because there are expensive fees in some of the big private hospitals but there are standard charges for level 2 hospitals in the country. We should be actively encouraging people to go into our level 2 hospitals because if they go to hospital in Bantry, Ennis, Nenagh or Roscommon it takes pressure off the model 3 and 4 hospitals throughout the country and takes pressure off our accident and emergency departments. Admission charges for urgent care centres should be reduced to incentivise people to go to them rather than accident and emergency departments. Every insurance company should be obliged to provide cover to the smaller local hospitals.

The reason this has come to my attention is a private patient who attended Roscommon hospital found out when the insurance claim went in that the policy did not cover the local hospital. That person ended up having to pay. This causes two problems. People must pay out of their own pockets because they do not have the cover and they are discouraged from supporting their local hospital. There is an anomaly that is being exploited by the insurance industry at present. I am giving notice that I intend to table an amendment on Report Stage. I hope that in advance of Report Stage this anomaly can be addressed in the short term.