There's a surprise, he said snarkily. A company evidently engaging in bluff in a poker game it's started with the government.

As has been obvious from the beginning, the fuss over risk equalisation has only been an ploy by Bupa to maximise their profits in this jurisdiction, nothing else. They knew about it before they decided to set up shop in this state, and they've simply been engaged in Ryanair-style theatrics since.

Update, 25/01/07: As pointed out in the comments, there's not much to back this claim up in the original linked article (hey - self-correcting blogosphere!). I was sure that I heard a news report about a Bupa statement confirming this on Newstalk on Thursday morning, but having listened through their podcasts makes me think that it must've been on the Orla Barry show - i.e., non-podcasted. Consider this a retraction until further notice.