Vol. 530 No. 3
188 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that people aged 65 years cannot join either VHI or BUPA and have no possibility of getting health insurance; and the plans he has in this regard. [3965/01]
The White Paper on Private Health Insurance, published in September 1999, addressed the particular issue raised by the Deputy. It outlined proposals in relation to the introduction of lifetime community rating and open enrolment, which will address, inter alia, the situation of individuals who seek access to community-rated private health insurance cover when they are of or over the age of 65. The White Paper provided that the existing open enrolment provisions, which set out the basis for regulating access to cover, would be extended to such persons who could previously be refused cover if they were entering private health insurance for the first time or their previous cover had lapsed for a material period.
The Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2000, which was published on 30 June, includes provision for the extension of open enrolment to persons of or over the age of 65, together with other provisions contained in the White Paper.
