ESRI: Elderly people have lowest health cover levels

FAMILIES are far more likely to pay for their children’s private health insurance than their elderly relative, despite the fact the latter group spends significantly longer in hospital than their younger counterparts.

Figures published by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) show that just one in every 10 patients aged 75-84 and over the age of 85 has some form of private health insurance.

This compares to one in every four for children aged between one and 14.