Written answers
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Department of Health and Children
Private Health Insurance
9:00 pm
Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the percentage increase in annual subscription for each of the health plans provided by the VHI in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5727/09]
Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The total average percentage increase in VHI premia for adults over the past five years is set out in the tables below.
| TOTAL INCREASE | BASE PLANS | ||||||
| PLAN A | PLAN B | B XS | PLAN C | PLAN D | PLAN E | ||
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| SEPT 2004 | 3.80 | 3.80 | 3.80 | 3.80 | 3.80 | 3.80 | 3.80 |
| SEPT 2005 | 12.61 | 12.50 | 12.50 | 10.50 | 12.50 | 16.00 | 16.00 |
| SEPT 2006 | 12.50 | 10.65 | 12.36 | 12.35 | 12.44 | 14.73 | 14.74 |
| SEPT 2007 | 8.50 | 9.50 | 8.50 | 9.40 | 10.30 | 13.60 | 11.90 |
| JAN 2009 | 23.00 | 22.70 | 24.60 | 26.90 | 26.50 | 30.10 | 29.70 |
| OPTION PLANS | |||
| PLAN A | PLAN B | PLAN C | |
| % | % | % | |
| SEPT 2004 | 2.50 | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| SEPT 2005 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 9.00 |
| SEPT 2006 | 10.49 | 12.29 | 11.93 |
| SEPT 2007 | 7.50 | 8.50 | 8.30 |
| JAN 2009 | 21.70 | 24.90 | 25.70 |
VHI also have a number of plans which were not available five years ago; these are outlined in the table below.
| LIFESTAGE PLANS | |||||||||||
| First Plan Select | First Plan | First Plan 2 | First Plan + | First Plan + 2 | Family Plan | Family Plan 2 | Family Plan + | Family Plan + 2 | Forward Plan | Forward Plan 2 | |
| % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | ||
| SEPT 2004 | |||||||||||
| SEPT 2005 | 11.29 | 11.52 | 11.32 | 11.54 | 11.87 | ||||||
| SEPT 2006 | 12.33 | 12.35 | 12.83 | 12.70 | 12.41 | ||||||
| SEPT 2007 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 4.00 | 8.00 | 7.80 | |
| JAN 2009 | 20.40 | 19.00 | 19.00 | 18.60 | 18.60 | 18.20 | 18.20 | 17.90 | 17.90 | 25.60 | 28.70 |
It is noted that VHI did not increase the cost of their plans in September 2008. The statutory position is that I have no role in the pricing of health insurance plans by VHI. It is a matter for the VHI Board to determine the levels of the increases which they introduce having regard to business considerations, the increasing cost pressures it faces and the need to accrue reserves. There are several underlying cost pressures in private health insurance, such as medical inflation, the ageing of the insured population, increased numbers of procedures, and the move to full economic pricing of public hospital beds.
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