Almost 46% of population have private health insurance

The number of people with private health insurance has risen for two years in a row, with trends showing a further 30,000 covered by inpatient plans last year than in 2015.

Almost 46% of the population now have private health insurance.

The growth is highlighted in the 2016 annual report from the Health Insurance Authority (HIA). It shows the market continued to recover last year with an increase in the number of lives insured to 2.15m.