Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 25 October 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

Health Insurance Sector: Discussion

10:30 am

Mr. Liam Sloyan:

We advertise our telephone number but older people are reluctant to switch health insurance. That is to be expected because if one thinks one is going to use one's health insurance, it is a natural reaction to be more risk averse about switching it. That will be the case. We do what we can to provide people with information and to advertise our services but we will always face a situation where older people switch less frequently than younger people. I do not think we will be able to override that.

The other reason older people do not switch is that insurers do not want their business. If they follow the commercial incentives and if they sell insurance to an older person, they will lose money. If the seller of the product does not want to sell the product to a group for commercial reasons, it is natural that group will not be targeted or encouraged to switch by the insurers.

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