| Bulletin | 09/6 |
| Batch No. | 189 |
| Ref | 12497 |
| Product | Financial |
| Advertiser | Hibernian Aviva Health |
| Agency | |
| Medium | Radio & Outdoor |
| Complaint Advertisement: The Radio advertisement stated as follows “Waiting…. You know the procedure, you take a number and wait. The waiting game is no waiting game at all, you wait in line, by the door, by the phone, on the edge of your seat, suddenly every room is a waiting room.” “When it comes to your health we know that waiting is often the worst part. That’s why Hibernian Aviva Health has more hospitals, treatment and scan centres than any other health providers. “So take this number 1850 71 66 66 and don’t sit and wait. Hibernian Aviva Health looking out for your……” The Poster advertisement featured an x-ray of a stethoscope and read “Get access to specialists sooner.” It also stated “Access more hospitals, treatment and scan centres. Get better health care for less call 1850 71 66 66.” Complaint: The complainants, Publicis QMP on behalf of VHI Health, objected to the Hibernian Health campaign as they believed that their competitors had contravened the Code with specific reference to section 2.2 and 2.9. Firstly they said that waiting periods for admittance to hospital were not determined by a patient’s health insurance company rather that this was determined by the availability of beds in hospitals and medical centres. Secondly they said that waiting periods to be seen by a specialist were also not determined by one’s insurance cover rather by the number of specialists operating in a particular field and the demand for such services. The complainants challenged the validity of the advertisers claim “get access to specialists sooner.” |
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| 2006 Code | |
| 2002 Code |
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| Response The advertisers stated that the advertisements were intended to appeal to Irish consumers who did not subscribe to any health insurance cover and therefore were reliant upon public healthcare. In this context the advertisers confirmed that Hibernian Aviva Health offered public patients “access to more hospitals, treatment and scan centres” and “access to specialists sooner” than waiting on public health lists. However in responding to the complainants’ interpretation of the statements in the advertisement, they contended that their insurance plans offered a range of insurance products not offered to subscribers of other insurance providers. They submitted data comparing the access they provided to various treatment and scanning centres with that of VHI. They also stated those who had recourse to private health care would be afforded access to a range of medical experts in a more timely manner than those reliant upon public healthcare. Therefore they said that Hibernian AVIVA Health was focused on attracting the some 48% of the population (HIA Consumer Survey) who are relying on public healthcare to take out health insurance policy with them. The Secretariat checked the number of hospitals, treatment centres and scan centres with both Hibernian Aviva Health and VHI. Following receipt of a list of all locations they were of the opinion that there was no significant difference in the numbers covered and that in any event the variation would not give rise to a superior level of access. |
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| Conclusion Complaint Upheld. The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response and the additional information received. They did not consider that the advertising was directed at consumers who did not subscribe to health insurance cover. They also considered that based on the verified numbers of hospital/treatment centres and scan centres the claim of the advertisers to “get more access to specialist sooner” had not been substantiated. In this regard they accepted that access to specialists was influenced by a range of factors including the numbers practicing in each specialty and the demand for service in each specialty. They considered that in the absence of the required substantiation the provisions of the Code had been contravened. Action Required: The advertisements must not appear in their current format again. |
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