Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

From the Aviva presentation, we have seen an acceleration in the number of people who are not taking out heath insurance. Can the panel give some indication of the numbers they expect not to renew policies, given the impact of the budget announcement and the costs arising from paying for public beds?

The witnesses blame Government policies, perhaps rightly, for an increase in health insurance, but what, if anything, are they doing to force down hospital prices? Can they confirm that they are all paying the same amount for the same hospital services, or are different insurers paying varying amounts for the same services?