Health Insurance Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 March 2014

Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Questions (186)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

186. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 270 of 26 January 2014, the age groups 17 years and under, 18 to 29 years, 30 to 39 years, 40 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, 60 to 69 years, 70 to 79 years, 80 years and over of the 2,052,000 people reported by the Health Insurance Authority as being insured with inpatient health insurance plans at the end of December 2013; the figures for the 2,099,000 at December 2012, 2,078,000 at March 2013, 2,058,000 at June 2013 and 2,048,000 at September 2013 people also reported as being insured with inpatient health insurance plans at the end of those months. [11154/14]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Health Insurance Authority, the independent statutory regulator of the private health insurance market in Ireland, provides information to my Department on an ongoing basis, including in relation to market statistics. Quarterly figures compiled by the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) show the total number insured with health insurance plans, but do not include a breakdown of membership by age category. However, the HIA provides my Department with Information Returns on a twice-yearly basis which provide the total number insured with in-patient health insurance plans for the commercial health insurers and a membership breakdown by each age category. The relevant information for 2012 and 2013 is outlined in tabular format below. This data is compiled in respect of the commercial health insurers and excludes members of Restricted Membership Undertakings (which provide insurance to people who are members of a particular group, normally a vocational group or employees of a particular organisation) and people serving waiting periods.

Age cohort	June 2012	December 2012	June 2013	June 2013
Age 17 and under	483,107	476,983	465,240	461,604
Aged 18 to age 29	244,963	234,220	221,426	211,386
Aged 30 to age 39	323,072	314,142	304,025	295,422
Aged 40 to age 49	305,775	303,541	299,303	295,963
Aged 50 to age 59	268,451	267,065	264,782	263,036
Aged 60 to age 69	209,804	212,223	213,620	215,174
Aged 70 to 79	111,988	114,705	117,098	119,387
Aged 80 and over	45,910	47,410	48,373	48,849
Total	1,993,070	1,970,289	1,933,867	1,910,821