Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2015
201. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Health the amount raised from the levy on private medical insurance policies each year in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014; the rates of payment, for different categories of insured person, under the scheme; and the amounts paid to each of the medical insurers. [6534/15]
View answerThe interim scheme of Age-Related Tax Credits and Community Rating Levy (ARTC) was in operation from 2009-2012. The Department of Finance has advised that the total Stamp Duty levied on health insurance products for the specified years is as follows:
|
YEAR |
ARTC SCHEME |
|
2011 |
€347m |
|
2012 |
€437m |
The interim scheme was replaced by a permanent Risk Equalisation Scheme from 1 January 2013. Stamp duty levies payable on policies commencing or renewing on or after 1 January 2013 are paid by registered undertakings to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and transferred to the Risk Equalisation Scheme (RES) Fund, administered by the Health Insurance Authority (HIA). The Department of Finance has confirmed the figures for 2013 and 2014 as follows:
|
YEAR |
RISK EQUALISATION SCHEME |
|
2013 |
€413m |
|
2014 |
€413m |
The Community Rating Levy for the years in question are shown in the following table:
|
Year |
Rate (Under 18) |
Rate (over 18) |
|
2014 (from 1 March 2014 to 28 February 2015) |
€100 (non-advanced cover) €135 (advanced cover) |
€290 (non-advanced cover) €399 (advanced cover) |
|
2013 (from 31 March 2013 to 28 February 2014) |
€100 (non-advanced cover) €120 (advanced cover) |
€290 (non-advanced cover) €350 (advanced cover) |
|
2012/Q1 2013 |
€95 |
€285 |
|
2011 |
€66 |
€205 |
The age-related credits provided under the scheme amounted to €333m in 2011 and €436m in 2012. The HIA's published figures for the scheme in 2013 show that the RES credits paid to insurers by the RES Fund was €299.42m, plus €112.58 balance from the ARTC scheme, giving a total of €412m. The amounts paid to individual insurers is commercially sensitive information, however it may be available in the published accounts of the individual insurers. The comparable figures for 2014 will be included in the RES Fund accounts which will be published by the Health Insurance Authority in mid-2015.
