Health insurance ‘to drop below 2m members’

The number of people with private health insurance will fall below two million during the first half of next year, a personal finance expert has predicted.

Reduced levies, a spate of premium increases and reduced tax relief have all contributed to the continuing exodus of people from the market this year.

“Last year, 65,000 people cancelled their cover and we are on course for another 65,000 to cancel their cover this year,” said Dermot Goode of Healthinsurancesavings.ie.