VHI ‘could be forced’ to deal with co-location

THE medical group, whose plans to co-locate private hospitals alongside public facilities are in jeopardy because of the VHI’s refusal to provide cover, has called for the private health insurer to be forced to the table.

Michael Cullen, chief executive of the Beacon Medical Group, said yesterday he believes legislation or regulation could be used to force the VHI to offer cover for the proposed private hospitals in Cork, Limerick and Dublin.

“They could be made do this in a number of different ways, either willing or whether they are forced to the table by regulation, by legislation; they are the state insurer,” Mr Cullen said.