Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil Senators will be supporting the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill, which is akin to the Finance Bill or the Social Welfare Bill in that it arrives every November. As the Minister of State has outlined, the measures in it are designed to support risk equalisation and to sustain community rating in our health insurance market so that older citizens and people with illnesses can afford health insurance and are not discriminated against in favour of younger, healthier people. There is no increase in the risk equalisation levy this year.

Risk equalisation and community rating is something that we have always supported. Our values as a people are to support our older people and our sick, not just out of a sense of obligation but because we respect and value older people and the dignity of each person in his or her illness, medical condition or disability. We are very firm in our view that the principle of solidarity should apply in private health insurance as well as in public health services. Over 2 million people in Ireland have private health insurance cover and many have been paying for health insurance all of their adult lives. They have an entirely fair expectation that the health insurance market will not be permitted to change in a way that diminishes their coverage. It is entirely right for people to expect that they will not face higher health insurance prices because of their age or because they have a particular medical condition.

It is important to note the comments of Mr. Don Gallagher, the CEO of the Health Insurance Authority, HIA, earlier this year. He stated:

As yet, we are uncertain of the impact Covid-19 may have on the market. The combination of the health shock and economic shock as a result of Covid-19 could potentially result in people cancelling their health insurance for a variety of reasons in the short to medium term. A significant increase in cancellations at younger ages could potentially impact the sustainability and stability of a community-rated health insurance market. The Authority's primary objective is to ensure access to private health insurance for all consumers regardless of age, gender or health status. We have established a Board Committee to consider the impacts that the Covid-19 pandemic may have on the health insurance market and on the Risk Equalisation Fund.

In that context, it is important that we pay attention to the discussion around that and encourage those who have private health insurance cover at this time to maintain that cover if possible. Giving up such cover could have long-term consequences for them and for society at large.