Rise in private bed charges may cause big insurance hike

PRIVATE health insurance members could be hit with significant price hikes as a result of the budget’s 20% private bed charges rise after the country’s main health insurance firms refused to rule out price increases.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan increased the cost of private and semi-private beds in public hospitals, which will bring millions of euro to the exchequer.

It had been anticipated the increase would not be passed on to the 51% of the general public who have private health insurance, with firms like VHI, Quinn Healthcare and Hibernian Health instead bearing the brunt of the policy change.