Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the passing of this Bill. I want to use the opportunity to briefly raise an issue I raised previously, namely, the cover provided by the health insurance companies for mental health inpatient services. There seems to be discrimination in the approach of the insurance companies to coverage for mental health inpatient services. For example, the Voluntary Health Insurance, VHI, covers 180 days for general health issues and hospitalisation while its psychiatric policies vary from 100 days to 180 days, depending on the plan. Likewise, GloHealth has no time limit on physical health cover but has one of 100 days for mental health inpatient services. Laya Healthcare has coverage for hospitals of 180 days but the coverage for psychiatric inpatient treatment is 100 days. Why are there different kinds of coverage under the same plans? Everyone will agree this is discrimination in an age when we see mental health inpatient and outpatient treatment as based on a recovery approach, as described in A Vision for Change.

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