THE controversial cash plans offered by BUPA Ireland may still be purchased by new customers despite last week's announcement - that the products would be immediately replaced.
BUPA confirmed that if a customer specifically asked for one of the cash plans to "top up" their essential scheme they could purchase it until the range has been replaced.
On Friday the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, said BUPA would replace the cash plans "as a matter of urgency" with a new range "clearly designed" to compete in the already established cash plan market.
A spokeswoman for BUPA said yesterday it had, stopped "advertising and actively marketing" the cash plans. New customers would be told they were in the process of being withdrawn. This would take a number of months.
If a customer asks for one of the cash plans, they can purchase them until the new package is introduced. These new cash plans will also be age related, with older customers paying more.
The company has stressed that anyone who has signed up with BUPA will continue to be covered for their benefits under the essential scheme and the cash plans. When their membership comes up for renewal, they will be offered a package from the new range.
The company spokeswoman said work had already begun on the new product range which they hoped to have on the market as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, a VHI spokesman said it had 6,300 group schemes, with just one leaving to join BUPA.
Group schemes, which are composed of groups of company workers who avail of a discount, make up 70 per cent of VHI's total membership.
The BUPA spokeswoman said it would "decline to make any comment on our business or on our customers". Health insurance renewals had begun on January 1st and less than three weeks had passed since then.
"There will be lots of renewals from now on. We are in discussion with a number of group schemes. It is very early days yet. We have several thousand members and we are just on the starting blocks."