Insurance companies the big winners from increased public care – The Irish Times

Sir. – Ellen Coyne’s front page article, (“Consultants take legal challenges over ban on private care,” June 12th) references the fact that a judicial review is being taken by two consultants regarding their access to treat private patients in the planned new surgical hubs.

There has been much focus in the media, including The Irish Times Letters page, on the treatment of private patients in public hospitals such as the Rotunda.

I have yet to see any explanation as to how the income generated from private patients in public hospitals will be replaced. What level of increased funding will be necessary to replace this income?

With the massive expansion of private hospitals in the country over the past 20 years, few elective procedures were carried out on private patients in public hospitals.

The reality nobody seems to acknowledge is that the majority of private patients treated in public hospitals are emergency cases. The hospital and the consultant both benefited and, in fact, hospitals were expected to generate significant income from private patients. The only beneficiaries of public emergency care being provided for patients with private insurance is the medical insurance companies.

It must be asked why, if insurance companies will no longer have to pay for private obstetric or emergency care in public hospitals, they need to constantly increase premiums on a yearly basis. One might reasonably think their subscribers would benefit from their reduced payments to public hospitals. – Yours, etc,

Peter O’Rourke,

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon,

Ramelton,

Co Donegal.