Sir, - Dr Patrick Treacy (October 16th) criticises the way some of our European neighbours fund their health services. He writes: "The problem with both the single payer and the sickness fund system is that the young and healthy are paying for the health care of the sick and elderly." This is a principle of solidarity which is crucial not just to people's individual health but to a healthy society. One could argue that it is not a problem, but a social and cultural asset.
On the other hand, private insurance schemes cover only patients who can afford to pay and who can therefore get "all the other medical services they require, depending only on their premium level and the other demands of the market".
What is hard to understand is why private patients require more medical services than the rest of the population. Is it because of "genetic factors, socio-economic factors and life-style"? - Yours, etc.,
Claudine Gaidoni, Ailesbury Grove, Dundrum, Dublin 16.