HOSPITAL consultants yesterday defended VHI fee increases of more than 130 per cent in the past six years. This year the consultants are set to receive almost 20 per cent more in professional fees from the health insurance company.
The secretary general of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA), Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, said the fees were justified when a number of factors were taken into consideration.
He accused the VHI of deliberately leaking details of the increases, which were published in yesterday's Sunday Tribune. "We are in the middle of negotiations and obviously the VHI is trying to soften up the consultants by embarrassing them in this way," Mr Fitzpatrick told The Irish Times.
The VHI calculates that the consultants have received fee increases of more than 131 per cent in the last six years, more than nine times the rate of increase in the consumer price index. More than £78 million will be paid by the VHI to consultants in its financial year to this month, £12 million more than the previous year.
They are set to receive an average £60,000 in fees from the VHI this year, many of them receiving up to £60,000 more from the Department of Health for working in public hospitals. There are more than 1,300 consultants in the State.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the number of VHI subscribers has increased from one million in 1990 to 1.4 million today, "and these are an ageing population who need more hospitalisation." During the same period the number of consultants in full time, private practice has increased from 150 to 250.
Mr Fitzpatrick confirmed that he had received a VHI briefing document on January 15th, in which the VHI said the system of payment for medical procedures would have to be changed.
He explained that increases in fees paid to consultants would account for a fifth of the rise. The IHCA has had a series of three two year agreements with the VHI, he explained. "The rest of the increase is accounted for by volume increases."
The number of consultants participating in the VHI full cover scheme, where they do not balance bill patients, has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past two years, he said.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the disclosure that one consultant was paid almost £200,000 by the VHI for carrying out a particular form of ultrasound scan on patients more than 1,300 times last year was not surprising.
"A consultant who is in full time private practice does not do hospital work. If he sees 30 patients a week for 40 weeks a year it would add up to that. Using VHI's own figures the average cost of running a practice is £50,000 a year."
The VHI's present two year agreement with consultants ends on February 28th.