Spiralling claims costs sees health insurance prices rise

The spiralling cost of claims, particularly public hospital claims, are blamed by the VHI for its latest premium hike of an average of 3% across a range of plans.

Health insurance expert, Dermot Goode, warns that Ireland is heading back to the “bad old days” of regular private health insurance price increases.

Mr Goode, a health insurance analyst with totalhealthcover.ie, said some health insurance companies are raising prices twice a year, and in some cases, more often.