Any evaluation in the financial press of the comparative costs of VHI and BUPA will state that it comes down to individual preference. I have not seen any authority write with any certainty on the costings of each body and state that one is better than the other. There is an argument that the existence of two insurance companies means neither can take advantage of consumers. I would not be so sure because one leap-frogs the other in terms of increases. If one gets an increase, the other will follow within a period long enough for it to claim an advantage and short enough to claim the money.