Levies ‘force young to drop insurance’

Introducing last-minute Government levies on health insurers is forcing younger, healthier people out of the health insurance market and increasing costs to older, sicker consumers, a forum on health reform heard yesterday.

The dominant position of VHI is also skewing the market, Dónal Clancy of Laya Healthcare told delegates at Health Forum 2012, hosted by the Health Economics Group at University College Cork.

Mr Clancy said: “At the moment, the market is basically unstable... This price spiral is of huge concern to the industry.