asked the Minister for Health his views on the Voluntary Health Insurance Board spending money to advertise the merits of using two private institutions; and if he will assure the ordinary VHI subscribers that this advertising campaign will not result in increased charges for the normal services.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - VHI New Scheme.
8.
There will be no increased charges for ordinary VHI subscribers arising out of any costs associated with the new plans which provide cover for certain high-technology private hospitals. The VHI Board are in full agreement with my requirement that these plans should be self-financing, so that those who request the additional cover will pay the full cost of providing it.
I would remind the Minister that only two institutions are named in those VHI advertisements and they are high cost private institutions. There must be a general feeling among people, normal subscribers, that they have been paying for this.
It is true that the VHI incurred a small cost in notifying subscribers of the new scheme, but I stress that the new scheme is optional. Subscribers were notified generally. Cover is being provided in the two hospitals, at the Mater and in Blackrock, for those willing to pay the additional premium. There was some press and radio advertising of this scheme but the money spent was very small. I am insisting that the scheme will be entirely self financing.
It is strange, in view of the Minister's stated views on private medicine, that this abuse of the system should have been allowed.
I was not prepared to sanction a general increase this year in VHI cover and I will not be prepared to sanction it next year. The marketing cost, if one likes to call it that, of the new scheme was less than 5p per member. Henceforth it will be part of ordinary notification to members. I can assure the Deputy I kept a very close eye on this and I had enormous difficulty in regard to it.