Merry Christmas from BUPA
So BUPA are pulling out.
Wouldn’t it make you sick?
I hope not, because it’ll cost you a fortune!
So 20% of the Irish population are now high and dry and frantically looking for health cover off the two remaining companies.
And when do they decide to do this?
Less than two weeks before Christmas where people are already beginning to celebrate with their office parties and are taking early leave or shopping days off. And the others are up to their necks in the pre-Christmas business rush.
So suddenly everyone has to drop everything and try to get alternative cover.
But the phone lines and the websites are jammed, so it’s not an easy matter.
And then there are the 300 people in Fermoy who have been given a nice early Christmas present. “Happy Christmas from BUPA [and by the way, you’re fired]”.
What is the government doing about this?
BUPA have been bitching for long enough, so our dear Minister For Health knew it was coming. But once again, profit and greed run roughshod over the people of Ireland.
Could she not have persuaded BUPA to hold off until after the New Year? Could she not have forced them to give adequate warning? Could she not provide advice for the victims?
Our health service is like the Titanic. And they have just burned one of the remaining three lifeboats.
I wouldn’t blame BUPA. I’d blame the government for supporting a monopoly.
As a BUPA subscriber I’ll be waiting to see what their letter says….
Their timing is questionable though.
And of course it’s the government’s fault. It usually is…
This has been the toughest decision I’ve ever been involved in because for 10 years we’ve built up a business that I’m really proud of, and to be forced to walk away now is devastating.
We didn’t want to be forced out of Ireland but we had no choice which is what we’ve been trying to say to everyone for some time. We’ve been trying to find a solution to this problem for ten year. When this scheme was brought in 2003 we warned this would happen but no one would listen. If we stay the reality is that we lose money.
My biggest concerns are my colleagues and our members. We will continue to look after our members’ health care until their policies are due for renewal and I’ll be doing everything I can to help our people in Fermoy and Dublin
I didn’t like having to make a decision like this so close to Christmas but the timing was not of our choosing.
My 300 colleagues in Fermoy and Dublin can be very proud of what they’ve achieved over the past 10 years and they know I am proud of them. We’ll be doing everything we can to make sure they’re looked after.
Martin O’Rourke
Hi Martin,
While my blogs and comments are usually somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I usually have pretty strong feelings
underneath.
I have a personal [albeit second hand]experience with BUPA, in that my daughter is a customer and she has been looked after excellently [my grandson has cerebral palsy].
However, as you may have seen in some of my other posts, my regard for our beloved government [and in particular, dear Mary] is at an all time ebb.
My thoughts are with your colleagues. Herself and I were watching Q&A last night and were saying how badly the whole thing had been handled, and how sorry we were for the estimated 3,000 people in Fermoy. [They reckon each person losing a job affects ten others].
All I can say is that I wish you the sincerest best of luck.
And roll on the next election…..