I have already written about travel insurance this year, concentrating on the factors families should consider when choosing their cover and the important questions to ask about their policy.

Consumers need to be careful now and start shopping around again well in advance of the renewal of their health insurance cover, a health insurance expert has warned.

With school holidays underway, many families around Ireland are currently preparing for their annual summer break. Although making the to-do list can feel longer than the trip itself, there are some tasks that are particularly important — and organising your travel insurance should be one of them.

John Hearne looks at how families could save more than €1,000 a year by switching health insurance.

Next month marks four years since then-Minister for Health Leo Varadkar introduced Lifetime Community Rating (LCR) into the health insurance market, in order to encourage people to take out private cover.

Health insurance is a topic I have covered in the past but it is worth returning to as a number of recent developments in the market could mean good news for consumers.

Consumer advice with Gráinne McGuinness

Price reductions along with enhanced day-to-day cover, lower excesses and new product benefits across a range of plans have been announced by the State’s health insurer.

Older people invariably pay more than any other age group for health insurance and older people are more likely to be unaware of corporate plans available, writes Gráinne McGuinness.

Many people use the SwiftCare Clinics for minor injuries to avoid going to a busy hospital emergency department and waiting hours for treatment.

State-owned health insurer VHI has reported a healthy profit after hiking its premiums twice in the last six months.

Health Minister Simon Harris says he does not want to penalise people who took out private health insurance to protect themselves and their families.

The cost of private health insurance continues to soar, with a second insurer announcing a second price hike within six months.

Families insured by Laya Healthcare can expect to pay anywhere between €150 and €450 extra per annum from April 1, following a decision by the private health insurer to hike charges for a second time this year.

Private health insurance premiums rose almost 8% over the past year. Premiums were 7.7% higher last month, compared to January 2016, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the Central Statistics Office.

This week consumer advice columnist Grainne McGuinnes got a timely reminder of the value of shopping around. 

Consumers have been warned to expect double-digit premium hikes on their health insurance in 2017.

Government plans to hike health insurance levies by 10% is “bad news” for consumers, a health insurance expert has warned.

Your family could be spending €1,200 extra on health insurance, if you do not shop around.

At least half of Irish families are overpaying anywhere between hundreds to thousands of euro on health insurance cover.

Consumer advice with Gráinne McGuinness.

Thousands of holidaymakers run the risk of costly bills for illness and accidents because they do not obtain travel insurance.

Here are six basic principles to help you make the best decisions for your pocket, writes Gráinne McGuinness.

There was a slight decrease in average private health insurance premiums last year, it has emerged.

Consumers are shooting themselves in the foot by not shopping around for health insurance, a financial expert has warned.

Health insurers have been ordered to stop confusing customers and discouraging them from shopping around for the best deals.

A health insurance expert has warned of more health insurance hikes in January and says that failure to shop around could prove very costly, especially for families.

Families faces a €105 rise in health insurance each year, while adults will have to pay almost €40 more, as the country’s largest insurer has once again pushed up its prices.

Gráinne McGuinness has advice on value for health insurance policies.

Laya Healthcare is set to increase the price of many of its products by 4%, with one health insurance expert saying that it would be a “surprise” if VHI did not follow suit before the end of the year.

There are now fears of spiralling health insurance premiums after Aviva’s announcement that it is to increase charges across a range of plans this summer.

Around 74,000 people took out health insurance in the weeks before the imposition of new membership rules, it has emerged.

There has been a last-minute surge in people taking out health insurance ahead of the imposition of new membership rules at midnight tonight, a spokesperson for the Health Insurance Authority said yesterday.

Health insurance companies are experiencing a surge in callers ahead of the imposition of new membership rules but the anticipated massive jump in numbers signing up has not happened yet.

The health insurance price war will not be enough to attract younger people ahead of the imposition of new membership rules, it has been claimed.

The health insurance price war is expected to hot up over the coming weeks as providers fight to win younger insurers before new penalties apply for taking out cover for the first time.

VHI’s rate freeze has thrown down the gauntlet to the competition and may make rivals considering price increases rethink their pricing strategy, a leading health cover expert has claimed.

The sale of Laya Healthcare — Ireland’s second largest health insurance provider, to AIG is good news for the consumer, says health insurance expert Dermot Goode.

Smart consumers can get “phenomenal” health insurance deals if they ask the right questions.

Around 30,000 people have cancelled their health insurance cover over the past 12 months.