Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While I am not sure if my question is more appropriate to the following group, I cannot stay at this meeting because I must go to the Chamber. I have been a member of an insurance company, from which I received seven booklets. Looking at them and trying to go through them, they seem to be much the same but the plans seem to be getting more expensive as one moves to platinum and gold care. I could not see much of a difference. The insurers say it is fair but when one tell them one belongs to a body such as the INTO, one gets a much better price. Anecdotally, one gets the corporate rate if one asks for it on the telephone and if one plays hardball.

I worry about another other aspect. I took out medical insurance at a certain price. After two or three years, it had doubled. I cannot remember if I received a letter and I probably did but I would like the insurance companies to clear up whether they write to customers to explain the percentage increase. For the client, prices seem to be increasing and, unless one checks it year on year and compares the companies' prices, one may not be getting the best deal. I would like the companies to focus their replies on the customer trying to get a good price.