Cost to cover health insurance claims up over 16%

According to the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) annual report for 2022, the average premium paid by adult members dropped 1.2% on the previous year

According to the HIA, demand for health services in 2022 continued to rebound from the pandemic with out-patient hospital attendances outstripping in-house hospital stays. File picture

Health insurance companies paid out nearly €2.5bn in 2022, an increase of over 16%, to cover the cost of claims while the price of average premiums dropped, a new report has found.

According to the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) annual report for 2022, the average premium paid by adult members was €1,448 on January 1 this year, which is a 1.2% decrease on the previous year. The HIA said the reason for the drop was due to price reductions by two insurers and refunds to customers.