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VHI HAS ANNOUNCED that it is to increase health insurance prices by 7% from the start of October, due to a significant increase in “demand for healthcare” following the pandemic, and high levels of “healthcare inflation”.
The increase means that one of VHI’s most popular insurance plans – its One + Plan – will now cost €1367.57 annually instead of €1278.11.
This price hike follows an increase in March of this year, which was the first price increase from the health insurance provider in two years.
The company today stated that it has seen an continuous increase in the numbers of customers accessing healthcare, as well an increase in the cost of delivering medical treatment.
VHI said that it has a responsibility to set premiums in a “prudent and sustainable manner” to ensure it can continue to meet the needs of its members.
The managing director of the company Aaron Keogh said that VHI is conscious of the “financial pressures” that many of its members are facing, but added that this price increase is necessary.
“The pandemic brought significant impacts on healthcare delivery in Ireland but we have seen a strong recovery in the number of members accessing necessary healthcare treatments in all parts of the healthcare system through 2023,” he said.
Keogh added that there has been a rise in the costs associated with the delivery of healthcare, including upward pressure on “wages, energy and other costs”.
He added that this price hike is “necessary” so VHI can continue to give customers access to “new and innovative drugs, procedures, technologies and services”.
Keogh said that any surplus generated from this increase in rates will be invested in improving the “service experience” of VHI’s members.
He said that Ireland faces significant healthcare challenges in the years ahead.
“Demographic challenges resulting from a growing and ageing population indicate a significant increase in chronic disease and mental health risk,” Keogh said.
He added that in 2022 VHI delivered over 523,000 “healthcare interactions” for its members.
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The Cartel in full swing again. Well done, take a bow….
@Cormo R: how? This is solely related to VHI
Surely we can’t blame the war in Ukraine anymore
Global warming
Oh they’ll try, have no fear!
I have seen numerous govts over the yrs but I have never seen a govt so powerless and useless for its people than this crowd. A massive surplus of cash in the coffers whilst it’s people struggle everyday. FF and FG have managed in the last 3 yrs to loose the next gen election by a landslide well done .
@sean bourke: they are private insurance companies. Not gov run
@Alan Scott: regulated in ireland tho. I know they are private
@sean bourke: come back here in two years time and we will see how much cheaper things are
@Eileen Hennessy: wishful thinking
@sean bourke: I’ll happily have a bet with you,the current government will get at least 40% of the vote in the next general election,there will be no landslide,SF will have a great chance of being in government but no landslide.
@sean bourke: VHI is a Statutory Corporation
@sean bourke: Nothing to do with the government.
@Sean O’Dhubhghaill: did I say it was
This is terrible! First we get forced to move out of Dublin because we can’t afford it, then we have to be super careful about energy usage because we can’t afford it and now we have to downgrade my insurance policy because we can’t afford it. Two people on full time jobs! I feel like giving up.
@Wicked Hedgehog:have you tried buying a used car lately…80% more expensive than before covid…
Don’t get me started on buying or even renting a house now…things are pretty dire at the moment.
@Wicked Hedgehog: sorry, didn’t mean to pour it on?
@damien leen: it was actually cheaper for me to buy a new car in the long run instead of used as 5 year old car was only €6k cheaper then new
@Wicked Hedgehog: Say that’s a blessing to get to leave the pale.
@damien leen: You’re fine- according to a lot of responses here today, I’m not the only one in deep trouble.
I just don’t know what else to do anymore…
And the continued screwing over of the Irish people continues, unabated.
@Brian Keelty: With ‘over 200′ Private insurance companies operating in Ireland they’re delivering their employment quota, as per any typical FF deal making. Mad how people never scream blue murder at those who work for them, like the teachers. But don’t suppose we can do much when we’re not paying the bills (even tho we are lol).
It’s a sad state of affairs where greed dictates if you live or die waiting for high quality healthcare. And the sickening thing is if you have private healthcare you can skip the public waiting list. And It’s a not a left or a right wing issue, it’s a humen issue. High quality healthcare should not be based on where you live, where you work, who your parents are, where your post code is. It should be based on need and not profit. And yes i would be willing to pay more tax and put these vultures out of business. Healthcare is a right not a luxury. slaintecare
@Alan Scott: Yup. We’re going nowhere for a really long time. We’re magpies to the shine
Let’s blame the war in Ukraine
Bore off.
@Ian: Truth hurts,
They might aswell jump on the bandwagon as everyone else
Yay…and with winter coming the energy bills will be sky high again, good times!!!
@damien leen: Winter is coming
@Colm Molloy: I’m goin’ north, as far as north goes, I swear it by the old gods & the new.
When is anyone in this inept government gonna do something with all this price gouging. Wages arnt going up. Unbelievable.
@Dave Barrett: they are a law onto themselves. They can charge whatever they want.
@Dave Barrett: Probably are if you working insurance.
We are getting ducked left right and centre….no company has their customers first. Electricity, telecommunications, fuel, food and health… We are all getting flaad and they are happy that we blame it on migrants
Groceries, energy, food, drink, hotels, vehicles, services etc. The price of everything has gone up immensely but wages have not.
@Conor Kehoe: Trouble is, as soon as we get any sort of a rise, it’s frkn useless!
Does Nothing Ever go down in price in this country from Bin Charges to Health Insurance? We All haven’t got it in this economy and talking of bin charges someone is going to be dropped… In the next few weeks… Enough IS Enough!!!
@Mick Hanna: burn recycling and bin at the bus stop
Another extortionist in our tiny country. Greedy people.
Imagine our collective shock..
Of course they are..
The American model is here.
Those on insurance can get treatment of some kind, those not on it can go sing for it.
Money made by a good few and the public, and society, pay.
Could they do a societal insurance where all adults pay 4 or 500 euro and the basics are covered, bigger needs then apply for grant and get a suitable treatment subsidised.
No big name drugs, except if no generic available due to patents etc.
@Colm Molloy: some private companies do a starter pack but it’s quite dire from what I believe. It’s a sad day when In a two tier system, where those on the public system have to wait months for a doctor, but those who on a private plan can get treatment immediatel
@Alan Scott: Hi Scott I’m paying to see a consultant & I’ve to wait months to see him,so not plain sailing for the private system either
good for them. businesse is business . they know they can get away with it so why wouldn’t they do it? Paddy is a pushover.
If everyone just stopped paying the renewal for one year they’ll soon change their tune. Take what they are getting now or get nothing.
Because our salaries have increase by 7 percent and more ? Why all of these abuse are not getting checked and capped ? Thieves.
insurance cartels are literally a law onto themselves in Ireland
Sure just throw it on top of every other increase we are suffering,why not round it off at 10%,the richest or one of the richest countries in europe,sure doesnt feel like it,tory leo the leek and slippery michael will do nothing about it,they just sit back and let supermarkets,insurance companies,utility companies do what they damn well like,as long as the shareholders gets their millions everythings fine,isnt that right leo?????
People in the states can pay between €500-1000 per mont for health insurance…
Our inept governments are facilitating heading that direction in Ireland . The public health service is badly run as the private health service gets its foothold .
FFG and their corporate buddies . Another fine example
Pay more people,fair play someone has to keep all this going we can’t all sit on our arses or leave the country and re enter as someone else for benefits
Policy’s covering less and less and the prices going up and up ,robbers
@M G:
Yes, every time you put in a claim they come up with some reason not to pay out.
Can everybody please stop going to the hospital?
LOL.
have your say