Reilly insists he pressed VHI to limit hike to 6%

Health Minister James Reilly has insisted he is doing everything possible to prevent painful health insurance hikes — claiming the latest VHI price rise would be a lot worse if he had not intervened.

The leading insurer yesterday said it will impose another 6% average hike on customers from March.

The move, which will be the seventh recession-era price hike by VHI and the fifth in just two years, is likely to see another surge in people canceling their cover — with 6,000 already leaving every month.