The High Court was told yesterday that as a result of a Voluntary Health Insurance decision, a VHI patient in Letterkenny general hospital is not covered to avail of the services offered by a mobile MRI scanner visiting the hospital but must go to Dublin or Galway.
Mr Michael Collins SC made the claim when opening an action on behalf of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Ireland Ltd (MRI Ireland) with registered offices at Greystones, Co Wicklow, and Lower O'Connell Street, Dublin, against the VHI. The MRI scanner provides healthcare diagnosis.
Mr Collins said his clients were seeking a declaration that the VHI, which has over 80 per cent of the private health care market, has abused its dominant position, thereby affecting the conditions of competition in the market which provides MRI scanning services in Ireland. The company is seeking damages and an order directing VHI to include it in its directory of VHI-approved service providers.
MRI Ireland claims to be the sole provider in Ireland of mobile MRI scanning services and at present provides services at Limerick Regional hospital; the Bon Secours hospitals in Tralee and Dublin; Sligo and Letterkenny general hospitals; Our Lady's hospitals in Navan and Drogheda and three hospitals in the North.
The company claims the VHI gave different reasons for the refusal to list or approve it and in more recent times had refused because of a "so-called 'moral hazard' argument". The hearing continues on Tuesday.