Health insurers must share the risks equally

IN an article headlined ‘For minor accidents, go to Baghdad’ (County, August 14), Peter Levy presented a very biased view of what has happened in the private health insurance market over the last 10 years and shows little understanding of community rating.

Community rating is a system whereby each person pays the same premium for health insurance irrespective of risk, ie, age, health status, etc.

Where there is more than one health insurer in the market, it is essential that the risks be shared among all insurers. Otherwise there will be cherry-picking of members with the lowest risk and the potential of enormous profits being taken out of the market.