Insurance help for transfusion victims planned

The Government is to fund a special scheme to help people infected with Hepatitis C and HIV through the state’s blood transfusion service to obtain mortgages and insurance, it emerged tonight.

Minister for Health Mary Harney said the Cabinet had agreed to her proposal to establish a mechanism to address insurance difficulties experienced by those infected through contaminated blood and blood products.

“I am pleased to announce the establishment of this scheme which will provide reasonable access to the insurance market for those for whom the cost is prohibitive or cover is unavailable,” she said.

Under the scheme, anyone seeking insurance will now pay the average basic premium, which an uninfected person of the same age/gender would pay, with the State paying the additional risk premium or assuming cover on the life where the assuror deems the person uninsurable.

Ms Harney said the scheme will cover all standard life assurance policies offered by life assurors who are authorised to trade in Ireland and who opt to participate in the scheme.

A scheme to cover travel insurance loadings will also be devised, she added.

The main components of the scheme are:

:: Life assurance to age 75, with a maximum life assurance cover of €400,000 or seven times the earned income of the eligible participant or his/her partner up to a maximum of €500,000. These sums will be indexed in accordance with the Consumer Price Index.

:: Mortgage protection cover up to age 75 on purchasing or changing the primary residence, up to a maximum of the average house price in Dublin plus 25% or €375,000, indexed in accordance with TSB/ESRI (Dublin) House Price Inflation.

:: For an initial period of 12 months (or, if later, three years from the date Hepatitis C/HIV is diagnosed) all persons with Hepatitis C/HIV will be entitled to apply for cover under the scheme.

Thereafter, a waiting period to apply, during which full cover would be phased in over two years for the under-50s and three years for over-50s).

:: There will be an open period for young people who are not able to avail of insurance/mortgage protection at this time, until the date of their 30th birthday.

The Tánaiste thanked Dr Elizabeth Kenny, chairman of the Consultative Council on Hepatitis C, and the executive members of Positive Action, Transfusion Positive, the Irish Haemophilia Society and the Irish Kidney Association for their co-operation and assistance in devising the scheme.