Niall Collins
Question:513. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Health the conditions that must be fulfilled by a health insurer to be included in the recognised list of insurers. [18642/15]
View answerTuesday, 12 May 2015
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The Health Insurance Authority, as the statutory regulator of the health insurance market, maintains the "The Register of Health Benefits Undertakings". In order to carry on the business of health insurance in Ireland, it is necessary for health insurers to be registered and to obtain a certificate of registration from the Authority under Section 14 of the Health Insurance Act, 1994. There are three types of health insurer in Ireland:
- Insurers such as Aviva Health, GloHealth, Laya healthcare and Vhi Healthcare that provide in-patient health insurance cover and that must accept, subject to certain limited terms and conditions, all persons who wish to purchase private health insurance cover. These insurers may also provide cash plans.
- Restricted Membership Insurers which provide insurance to people who are members of a particular group, normally a vocational group or employees of a particular organisation and their dependants.
- Insurers (such as Vhi, Laya, GloHealth and the Hospital Saturday Fund) that only provide cash benefit plans in certain circumstances.
A certificate of registration is valid for 12 months. The Authority only issues a certificate once it has examined the scheme and it is satisfied that the proposed scheme of the health insurer complies with all relevant legislative provisions. The issuing of a certificate confirms that a health insurer may offer private health insurance in accordance with the terms of their rules and with the legislation. Any registered undertakings that has ceased to provide health insurance must be removed from the Register.