The Big Freeze, Health Insurance

Monday, 11 Jan 2010

David Nally (editor)

The Big Freeze is dominating everyone's thoughts and it will dominate debate on The Frontline on Monday night too. Government will be represented along with others on the panel and we'll have the latest info plus intense debate from those affected and from those who have strong things to say about what this latest episode says about our ability to tackle emergencies.

Also the chief executive of the VHI Jimmy Tolan will be in studio to debate the company's decision to raise its premiums and the whole future of health insurance in Ireland. Is it just a reflection of the fact that we're all making bigger, more expensive demands on the health system or does it mean that the VHI and other health insurers aren't driving a sufficiently hard bargain with consultants and hospitals, paying exorbitant fees and passing the cost on to us?

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan impressed many with his honest and upfront interview on his health last Monday. But what did you make of his statement that he didn't enjoy any significant advantage in speed or quality of treament over a public patient? Does Private Health Insurance really confer no significant advantage in quality or speed of treatment? If so, why do 50% of the population pay for it? Is there a better, more equal, more efficient option out there?

Let us know what you think by emailing us now on thefrontline@rte.ie.

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Comments:

No refuse collected by county council in my locality since 17th December. Pathetic!

Posted by Sean Mooney on January 11, 2010 at 10:59 PM GMT #

This is the new year. Can you stop depressing us. This constant moaning and whining on this programme and others in RTE is just unbearable. Its become a huge feature of our broadcast media. And I've noticed this particularly on your programmes Pat. The morning programme is becoming the same, unfortunately. I'm now listening to people complaining to the gov representative that people are lonely with no-one to talk to!!!. I dont trivialise this but who is to blame for this? I have an 85 year old mother living up a half mile lane in the country side in Kilkenny, who has been unable to go out and has not had water for 5 days. Not once did she moan about Noel Dempsey or whatever. Neighbours helped out and we kept in contact by phone. I must say I have enjoyed the chance to get close to neighbours and to help out. To me it was a rewarding opportunity. We didn't need these ministers to clear the snow and shovel our drives. We needed each other and our local authorities. I don't know Noel Dempsey but this hysteria about his holiday is ridiculous. I would ask Pat not to personalise the attacks as I've heard you do on radio and on this programme tonight. It is very unpleasant ("God love you if you live in his constituency"). I felt this particularly when I heard a panel of commentators on Marian Finnucane all say what a hard working minister he is. You shouldn't be so ugly about a minister who actually does work hard. I'm emailing you because my 15 year old just got off the couch in disgust at this constant negativity, saying, "how could anyone want to be a politician listening to all of this 24/7?". This is unfortunate from a keen debater who is a politically aware young man who does his bit for his elderly neighbours. Are you, Pat, become a little bitter with age? Maybe it is difficult for the listeners to take the moaning in RTE seriously because their criedibility is compromised on issues related to hours of work, holidays and rates of pay. We know we have a lot to blame the gov for but can we stop this constant whinge. Its soul destroying. I'm really in a mood to switch to Chris Evans or BBC 4 or anything. Some good news please! GIve our young people some reason to want to be in politics to help change things in the future. Lisa Swords

Posted by Lisa Swords on January 11, 2010 at 11:17 PM GMT #

Dear Pat et al, Having spent the whole of last year justifiably blaming the government for the state of the nation, I have to admit that tonight we reached a level of complaining that was bordering on the ridiculous. Whatever about the floods and the lands criminally rezoned for housing the present snow weather is hardly the fault of the government. One gentleman blamed the government for slipping on a path; another lady complained about the isolation of older people. This is life.This is reality. We're not Poland or Russia which experiences regular snow seasons allowing people to prepare cars for winter conditions or which has a dedicated winter service for the roads. Its time people started to solve problems themselves and play their part clearing paths, visiting elderly neighbours in a spirit of nationhood instead of expecting that our government in someway can do everything for us. If the first half of the show was ridiculous the second half was bordering on comical. A bunch of people complaining about the spiralling costs of skipping waiting lists and avoiding having to share a six bedded unit with the "common people" while still recouping their tax investment in equipment and personnel in state hospitals. Private Health care in Ireland evolved into this subsidised model because the Secretary of the Department and the Principle Officer classes had no intention of being treated as ordinary citizens and no desire to pay full costs. The personal stories were ludicrous: 1) Man receiving Radio frequency Ablation of arrhythmia pathway- this is an endovascular procedure requiring expensive vascular catheters and trained specialists. Its a one day procedure (thankfully) because that is the nature of endovascular procedures. Do you even understand what was involved ? 2) Man with Transient Ischaemic Attack (Stroke) while in Holland: did you even receive aspirin and plavix therapy in Holland? Did they explore for atrial fibrillation as they did when you returned to Ireland? Would it have cost anymore to occupy a bed in Ireland when you were merely observed and allowed to recover in Holland at 1000 euro per day ( the same rate as Ireland for a patient in an acute hospital bed). Why didn't you go back to Holland to have your filter placed if it was such good value ? You'd have been charged the same, I'd bet. You're comparing a cheap stay in hospital with an expensive procedure back home- hardly fair. Its time to stop moaning and begin to think sensibly folks as a nation.We have a society being destroyed by short term thinking that allows people on pensions of 800 euros a week attend their Blackrock Clinic, rush off to their medical card doctor to have the prescription transfered to a green form while people with kids and mortgages are denied medical cards on lesser incomes.Its time we all made sensible sacrifices and were upfront across the board before we're left in a failed nation Yours etc John

Posted by John Taylor on January 12, 2010 at 12:56 AM GMT #

Another example of government inepititude, they were blaming international factors ( salt supplies ) for the problem, deja vu wasnt it Lehman brothers who caused our financial crisis!! The buck stops with the government, they just keeping passing it on. Let everyone remember the actions of the government financial crisis, weather crisis and drastic cuts in social welfare those earning over 30k.

Posted by philip mcardle on January 13, 2010 at 02:59 PM GMT #

what is happening in this country - we are living in Castleknock and have no water since lunchtime today and the Fingal website tell us this could happen for the next few days!!! HELP

Posted by jacinta sheerin on January 13, 2010 at 03:00 PM GMT #

...i bought 6 tickets for the olympia theatre on sunday the 10th jan . they were xmas presents and cost me 187 euro ..i continually phoned ticketmaster for the past 3 days and basically they told me they could do nothing .... i feel really bad about this because they were presents .....and both my parents are in their 70's and it was too dangerous to travel i cant understand that other venues like the gaiety and the tivolli are giving people who bought tickets a different date and yet the olympia....cannot.......i understand that normally there is nothing thay can do but the weather we have had was not normal

Posted by maria kennedy on January 13, 2010 at 03:12 PM GMT #

I'm living near Glenveagh in Donegal and have been housebound since Dec. 18th. roads are iced. Thank God for a few good neighbours. Could we please get some salt now 3 weeks later? PLEASE?

Posted by Dolores Boyle on January 13, 2010 at 03:46 PM GMT #

I live in Cappagh, Askeaton county Limerick and our village has not been gritted at all. Our village has a national school as well as a community creche and there has been no provision even for grit to be left at the community centre in order for the local people to distribute it. Last week a lorry with grit passed by and had grit on it, however we saw none of it. I work for the irish blood transfusion service and as you know from the appeals, the country is short of blood; yet I cannot get to work which then leaves the team stretched for staff. My employers have been very understanding, but its terrible that I am trapped in my home because the road is too unsafe to drive on.

Posted by ursula harvey on January 13, 2010 at 03:48 PM GMT #

My ambulance company has its fees driven down by Quinn and then they take up to a year to pay us. we have been on the verge of closure with cashflow problems due to their attitude whereas VHi are most efficient with claims payment with an average wait of 6 weeks

Posted by joe on January 13, 2010 at 03:49 PM GMT #

Just a quick note that we received our VHI claim details following the birth of our son. Mum was a private patient of the gynaecologist, the gynaecologist failed to be present or appoint another consultant, someone's administration has not failed to place his name on the VHI ticket. Thankfully a midwife who took full responsibility and delivered our beautiful son. We contacted the VHI to clarify the gynaecologist did not deliver our son, the call center personel sought to explain the scenario to be one where the gynaecologist probably has a system in place where he will reimburse the hospital....

Posted by 192.168.24.16 on January 13, 2010 at 03:50 PM GMT #

So far Éamon Ó Cuív is saying there is NO requirement for The Department of Transport as ALL responsibility is left with the local authorities. This goverment couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery! How much longer are the people of this country going to vote for incompetent idiots to run it! Simon... p.s. I must apologise though as I voted for the Yellow Party. John Kipper Gormley (Two faced and spineless)!!!

Posted by simon scott on January 13, 2010 at 03:51 PM GMT #

The Department of the Environment and the Department of Transport should have been conducting daily press conferences. Department of Environment at 12:00pm and Department of Transport at 3:00pm. In exactly the same way the Department of Health did daily press conferences in relation to the H1N1 swine flu outbreak. Besides communication and coordination there is also a basic requirement for the government to be visible.

Posted by ciaran ryan on January 13, 2010 at 03:54 PM GMT #

for 10 years plus we have a minister for health without a democratic mandate because there is no-one in the fianna fail party brave enough to tackle it. There the Irish people now have a health care system they never voted for from a minister with less than 2% of the vote. Is it any wonder it's such a mess?

Posted by fabian mcgrath on January 13, 2010 at 03:54 PM GMT #

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