Pre-tax profits at Aviva Health Insurance more than doubled last year to €18m in spite of a loss in market share.

When optimist Anna set off on her epic journey to find her sister Elsa, just before Christmas last year, few would have predicted that Disney’s Frozen would become the top grossing animated film of all time, with merchandise flying off the shelves for captivated young fans. 

Some 41% of families spend less than one hour per week being active together.

New research has shown that 20% of Irish families spend between four and 10 hours per weekday in front of a screen; at weekends, the figure goes up to 50%. 

Aviva Health is increasing its prices by an average of 12.7%.

More health insurance hikes; Neil Francis to review ballet; Shatter slammed and Coppers: The Musical, in the Lunchtime Report.

Health Minister James Reilly’s new health insurance levy could cost the sector up to four times more than was initially claimed.

Private health insurers have accused the Government of “perpetuating a vicious circle of rising premiums” for holders of private health insurance following the latest hike to the health levy.

Almost one third of employers say staff are coming to work sick even though it is having a negative impact on productivity and morale in the workplace.

Almost 210 private health insurance policies are being cancelled every day.

The country’s leading health insurers have announced a series of cash-saving offers to lure back young people — while side-stepping price hikes for the companies themselves.

Private health cover is set to cost 25% to 30% more in the next two years, adding to the pain for customers whose premiums have already doubled since 2007.

The crisis-hit health insurance market risks being damaged beyond repair by youth unemployment and emigration, according to a new report.

About 64,000 people gave up their private health insurance cover last year.

Thousands of private health insurance holders are set to suffer a second double-digit price hike this year — marking the start of a threatened 40% new cost surge across the sector.

Health insurers have claimed Health Minister James Reilly’s reform plans will “force” them to impose new 20-40% premium cover price hikes onto already cash-strapped customers.

As private health insurers ring in the new year with a series of premium hikes, customers can expect further hardship in 2013 under government plans to charge insurers for private patients who use public hospital beds.

Health and motor insurance hikes and several budget measures including increases in taxation and funding cuts for the vulnerable come into effect from today.

HARD figures on the amount of tax relief that goes unclaimed every year are not easy to find.

Health Minister James Reilly will come under increasing pressure to introduce proposals for universal health insurance as more people are priced out of the private health insurance market, a leading patient advocate has warned.

Quinn Healthcare’s second major health insurance price hike announcement since the start of this month may force 100,000 more people to quit their coverage before the end of the year, it has been claimed.

THERE could be good news for health insurance customers after the Minister for Health and the country’s main insurance companies agreed to address high costs in the sector.

More than 50,000 people have cancelled private health insurance policies in the first nine months of this year, putting increasing pressure on a creaking public hospital system.

FAMILIES could face a €1,250 hike on the average health insurance plan on the back of yesterday’s budget.

TWO out of every five young women have never performed a breast check, despite Ireland having the world’s seventh highest breast cancer rate.

STATE health insurance company VHI has not ruled out the possibility of premium hikes following a landmark European Court of Justice ruling ordering it to find fresh funding of up to €300 million.

SCARCELY four months after it opened, the country’s newest private hospital will today put its 75-strong workforce on protective notice following failure to convince the VHI to cover the facility.

Cervical cancer vaccines are to be made available to an additional 150,000 teenage girls.

SEVERAL leading companies including Ryanair, Brittany Ferries, UPC and the VHI have been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland over misleading advertising.

THE Celtic Tiger didn’t just make us rich, it also made us fat, according to a study by the agricultural research institute, Teagasc.

PRE-tax profits at Aviva Health Insurance Ireland Limited rose by 92% to €10.6 million in 2009.

WHEN it comes to lean, Tipperary has little to offer with the exception of Galtee Rashers.

A war of words has broken out between rival health insurers after the VHI announced plans to slash prices for children as part of a revamp of its policies aimed at attracting young families.

Vhi Healthcare have said today's decision by the European Commission "was expected".

The European Commission has referred Ireland to the European Court of Justice over the exemption of the VHI from certain EU rules on non-life insurance.

THE EU Commission has given the green light to an alternative risk equalisation scheme in the health insurance sector that one company claims will increase the cost of a family premium by €426 per annum.

The EU Commission has approved Ireland's scheme of levies and tax relief in the health insurance sector, primarily aimed at making health insurance affordable for older people by decreasing the risk differentials for health insurers between old and young customers.

Families can save up to 20% on their health insurance bills by shopping around, it was claimed today.