VHI chief warns of possible price hikes

VHI MEMBERS face even more price hikes because of changes to the health service, the insurance firm has warned.

It has written to the Department of Health alerting them that the Government’s policy of encouraging the development of new private healthcare facilities will put more pressure on the cost of insurance premiums.

This warning comes just weeks after Health Minister Micheál Martin sanctioned an 18% price rise for its 1.5m members which met with fury from patient groups who said families would be priced out of the health insurance market.