The Health Insurance Act, 1994, and the 1996 Health Insurance Regulations provide for "open enrolment". This obliges insurers to make cover available to persons under the age of 65 regardless of whether or not they were previously covered. It also requires that persons transferring between insurers, or persons whose previous cover had not lapsed for a material period, be provided with cover. The law also provides for "lifetime cover" which means that once a person is covered by a registered insurer, he or she cannot be deprived of cover except in limited exceptional circumstances.
The citing of the age of 65 years, under which insurers are obliged to provide cover in the State to persons requesting it, reflects the practice prevailing in the market prior to the introduction of the 1994 Act. Under the current regulatory arrangements, it is a matter for registered insurers to decide whether or not to provide cover for a person of or over the age of 65 years who is seeking access to the community rated health insurance system for the first time or after a material period has elapsed since previously covered. However, if an insurer decides to make such cover available, it must do so on the basis of community rating and lifetime cover. The VHI and BUPA are the two insurers who provide cover to the general public. I am not aware that either of these make cover available to people aged 65 or over other than on a renewal basis or where the individuals concerned are transferring between insurers.
The White Paper on Private Health Insurance addresses the question of enabling those aged 65 or over avail of private health insurance based on lifetime community rating. Legislation to give effect to such an entitlement, the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2000, is currently awaiting Report Stage.