Pregnancy insurance for all

　
 


Sir, – I recently renewed any elderly relation’s health insurance cover with the State-owned health insurer. A widow of 89, thankfully she continues to be in good health for her age and circumstances.

Imagine my utter amazement, however, on seeing that her policy includes mandatory maternity insurance cover in public and private hospitals, caesarean delivery and home birth cover. Against the background of a proposed 11 per cent increase in premium, I asked the very helpful staff member in VHI to have the maternity cover removed from the policy to save costs, but was advised this is not possible. My relation must continue to pay for maternity cover and, if she were male, the cover would also be required notwithstanding, what would seem to my mind, to be a biologically impossible basis for claiming under the insurance.

I wonder are any of your readers aware of 89-year-old widows or any men giving birth, to justify the costs of what by any standards would be miraculous conceptions. – Yours, etc,