I propose to take Questions Nos. 557 and 617 together.
I recently published the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2012 on 18 October, which provides for a permanent Risk Equalisation Scheme (RES) to be in place from 1 January 2013. The main object of the Bill is to ensure that, in the interests of societal and intergenerational solidarity, the burden of costs of health services be shared by insured persons by providing for a cost subsidy between the healthy and the less healthy, including between the young and the old. Committee Stage for this Bill has now been completed and
Report Stage is scheduled in the Dáil for later today, 4th December. There is currently no mechanism available to reclaim this levy where persons cancel or downgrade their policy. It is, however, important to note that customers are free to cancel and change their policy at their renewal date without difficulty. One option that could be of additional benefit is the issuing of a certificate in the case of those wishing to switch policies during the course of the cover year, which will arrange to have further considered in the context of additional legislation concerning risk equalisation next year.
In the interim, the increased notification periods for new and changed existing products provided for in the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2012 will protect the consumer by restricting the proliferation of products and product changes (there are 221 products on the market at present which is considered excessive) by limiting capacity of insurers to offer and withdraw contracts at very short notice. All customers should carefully consider the full range of plans and levels of cover available within the market, so that their own needs are fully met.
