As Minister, I have no legal power to intervene in relation to health insurance prices set by the health insurance providers. The insurance companies, operating as commercial providers, make commercial decisions about their prices.
Many consumers can make savings on their health insurance premiums by reviewing their level of cover to ensure that their needs are being met, without being over-insured. The Health Insurance Authority provides information to consumers regarding their rights, and on health insurance plans and benefits. The HIA's web-site, www.hia.ie, had a useful plan comparison tool which assists in finding suitable and competitive health insurance plans. The HIA may also be contacted at 1850 929 166. Bearing these factors in mind, it is possible for consumers to shop around and to identify lower cost policies that still meet their health insurance needs. I would urge all consumers to look carefully at their policies at renewal time, so as to maximise the savings that are possible in a competitive market.
The Government remains committed to keeping down the cost of private health insurance, so that it is affordable for as many people as possible, in the transition to Universal Health Insurance. In this regard, I appointed Mr. Pat McLoughlin to work with insurance companies and my Department on an independent review process to identify effective cost management strategies to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the private health insurance market. I am currently examining Phase 1 of Mr. McLoughlin's report, Review of Measures to Reduce Costs in the Private Health Insurance Market 2013 , which was published on 26th December 2013, and Phase 2 of this costs review process is now underway.
