Seanad debates

Wednesday, 26 February 2003

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage.

 

I ask the Minister to be a little more clear-cut as to what he is trying to achieve in this Bill. I ask him to explain, to my satisfaction, why he considers the risk equalisation mechanism so desirable. Will it aid competition or stifle it? If risk equalisation is as positive as the Minister claims, is it not rather surprising that, against this so-called perfect backdrop, no further companies have been willing to enter the health insurance market? By comparison with other EU countries, we have very few health insurance companies operating in Ireland. I suggest that is because the issue of risk equalisation causes the greatest possible problems to small companies. My concerns and doubts about this concept when it was originally introduced have certainly not disappeared.

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