Laya, the country’s second-largest health insurer, posted a 22% increase in profits in 2015, but faced increased claims from public hospitals last year.

Expectant mums cannot wait to hold their bundle of joy but for many, the highly-anticipated moment can be painful, messy, and far from smooth sailing.

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.

People Before Profit has accused Health Minister Leo Varadkar of acting like a “tout” for the private health insurance industry.

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.

International insurance giant AIG has confirmed its continued investment in the Irish market via the acquisition of the country’s second largest health insurer, Laya Healthcare.

Health insurance provider, Laya Healthcare, has confirmed the sale of 100% of its shares to international insurance organisation, AIG.

Pre-tax profits at the country’s second largest health insurer, Laya Healthcare, last year increased by 5% to €5.25m.

Laya healthcare has launched three new schemes which will have their prices frozen for up to two years.

Cash-strapped patients could face yet more health insurance price hikes in the coming weeks, despite fresh Government attempts to force down market costs.

CORK-BORN singer John Spillane recently released his new album, The Man Who Came In From The Dark. He also presents Spillane an Fanaí (Spillane The Wanderer), every Tuesday on TG4 at 10pm.

We could see more companies offering cut-price life insurance policies after one of the sector's competitors launched a 'no-frills' product.

Laya Healthcare is to create 50 new jobs in Dublin by 2016, the company announced this morning.

Ireland’s second largest private health insurer, Laya healthcare, is to hike its charges by an average of 20%.

The country’s second largest health insurer, Laya Healthcare, last year returned to profit to record pre-tax profits of €4.99m.

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.

Three of the country's private health insurance companies will be raising their prices because of changes to stamp duty announced by the Government yesterday.

Laya Healthcare said it is bucking the trend in the toughest market for health insurance in decades by growing its customer base from 450,000 to over 475,000 members in 12 months.

The Minister for Health James Reilly has said he is concerned about the increasing cost of private health insurance, but has hit back at claims from some insurers that the health levy is to blame.

A record number of people - 64,000 last year alone, according to Health Insurance Authority (HIA) report this month - have dropped their health insurance cover.

The Director of Laya Healthcare, Donal Clancy, is urging the Government not to increase the health levy at the end of this month.

Almost nine in every 10 people will deliberately delay going to a GP or hospital for medical treatment because of spiralling health insurance costs.

Almost one in three young families are planning on dropping their health insurance, according to new research.

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.

Consumers with the most basic levels of private health insurance face further reductions in cover if they are to avoid the knock-on effect of an imminent €65 hike in the government health levy.

Customers of Laya Healthcare face premium hikes of up to 13% from Jan 1 next year, the private health insurer announced yesterday.

The country’s second largest health insurer last year went into the red after a drop in revenues.

Senior figures in the country’s largest health insurers yesterday demanded action to stop younger, healthier people fleeing the market, leading to a “vicious circle” of rising premiums.

Introducing last-minute Government levies on health insurers is forcing younger, healthier people out of the health insurance market and increasing costs to older, sicker consumers, a forum on health reform heard yesterday.

Laya Healthcare is targeting expansion abroad as an insurance services company, according to managing director Dónal Clancy.

Introducing a universal system of health insurance without input from private health insurers will be difficult, newly rebranded Laya Healthcare 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.

Customers of Quinn Healthcare look certain to be hit with a second hike in their premium payments as the company passes on the impact of the recently increased private insurance levy.

HIKES in health insurance will see more young people cancel their policies leaving insurers with more older people which will in turn drive up the cost of premiums, an insurance expert has warned.

Quinn Healthcare and Aviva are hitting out at the Government's decision to increase the levy on health insurance policies by almost 40%.

THE future of over 330 jobs at the country’s second-biggest health insurance firm has been secured following a senior management-led buyout.

Health insurer Quinn Healthcare has been sold following a bid by senior management with Swiss Re as underwriter, it was announced today.

CASH-STRAPPED consumers struggling to meet private health care costs face further price hikes of up to 15% next year.

QUINN HEALTHCARE has welcomed the Government’s decision to “resolve the dominant and monopolistic position of the VHI”, saying the move would only strengthen competition in the Irish market.

IN a Mexican stand-off with the Government, Quinn-healthcare has threatened to increase its prices by an average of 15% for 2010 unless a levy on business is removed.

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.

QUINN HEALTHCARE has withdrawn cover for future patients at a leading psychiatric hospital.