It is also interesting that employers are not permitted to insure only healthy staff because this would undermine the solidarity between generations, which underpins community rating and spreads the burden. When BUPA entered the market, community rating was a contentious concept which was supported by the VHI and resisted by BUPA. The Government was in favour of BUPA entering the market to open it up because the VHI held a monopoly at the time. BUPA has now done so and additional new entrants will help to open the market further.