More cash won’t solve health ills

■ We noted another flurry of interest in health insurance which occurs from time to time when some report is published or something of interest emerges and then everything goes back to ‘normal’.

I would like to draw attention to a few matters. We were told earlier this year that VHI was now in good shape and would be reducing premiums and indeed making refunds... so you can imagine our excitement when a refund cheque of €35 arrived – on a policy costing over €2,000 per year. I could hardly contain myself!

Charlie Weston says there are some 340 different plans from three providers (‘Elderly ‘stung’ on health cover’, Irish Independent, July 23) – you would want to be a mathematician and financial analyst combined, with the patience of a saint, to compare all these plans.

Commentators talk about not sticking to the same provider, looking for corporate plans, etc, but it all comes down to whether you want to have a nervous breakdown annually or just pay up and hope. The reason most people have private health insurance is fear, and the industry is largely based on our fear of not getting care in the taxpayerfunded public system – so people paying for private health insurance are paying on the double, and still the private insurance companies shy away from responsibility in the delivery of emergency care. They cherrypick what, where and when they will deliver and we pay up. The Government cares less.

The Government has provided no complaint or redress system for patients who experience poor services or care in private hospitals. Also, it’s a form of discrimination to offer online discounts because many ill, elderly or disabled people cannot or do not have the resources to transact business online.

The minister needs to have an independent analysis and time-and-motion studies done in our public A&Es. I had a recent experience which was quite an eye-opener. The outcome of such studies and analysis will provide the solution and – surprise, surprise – it may not just be money.

The issue of people not attending appointments and these letters and texts asking if they want to remain on waiting lists is outrageous, and add insult to injury, especially for older people who may have problems with paperwork, cognitive difficulties, making calls and even getting transport to services.

Everyone needs to take a deep breath, step back and look at this logically. There are solutions but they won’t be found by throwing more money into the current models of service delivery. Maire Ni Fearghaill Enfield, Co Meath