Private health insurance market a cartel, claims Fine Gael senator

THE health insurance market was yesterday branded a cartel with prices almost doubling since competition was introduced.

Fine Gael Senator Fergal Browne made the charge when the Oireachtas Health Committee heard that policy premiums had increased by 98% since Bupa entered the market in 1996.

“At the moment you could nearly say there is a cartel operating in the private medical insurance market,” he said.