Number of people with private health insurance falls to 2006 levels

Another substantial drop in private health insurance numbers is expected by the year end with 75,000 people dropping out of the system, it has emerged.

The private health insurance market peaked with 2.3m customers in 2008, falling to 2.14m at the end of this March, the same as it was in mid-2006.

The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) confirmed yesterday that it warned the health minister last December of a further 75,000 drop in insurance numbers between July 2011 and Dec 2012.