Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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343. To ask the Minister for Health to advise on Government levies for private health premiums; if he will reduce such levies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4152/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The community rated private health insurance system is underpinned by a Risk Equalisation Scheme. The Scheme involves a community rating levy collected by the Revenue Commissioners from insurers in respect of all policies written and all of the monies collected are paid over to the Risk Equalisation Fund administered by the independent regulator - the Health Insurance Authority. The Authority then redistributes the fund back to the market through credits payable to insurers in respect of insured lives to offset some of the additional cost of insuring older and less healthy members. The Scheme is exchequer neutral, neither a cost nor a benefit to the State.

As required under the Health Insurance Acts 1994 to 2015, the Health Insurance Authority submits a report to the Minister for Health in October each year recommending the risk equalisation credits and corresponding stamp duty levies for the following year, taking into account factors such as the changing demographic profile of the insured population and market developments. For 2016, I have accepted the Authority's recommendation of a small increase in the stamp duty on advanced contracts for adults (€4) and a reduction of €38 for non-advanced contracts. The revised rates apply to contracts that are renewed or entered into from 1 March 2016.

The applicable community rating levies are: