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THE COST OF health insurance looks set to rise from next April after the government announced plans to increase the levy on most plans by 10%.
The current health insurance levy is either €202 or €403 per year on adult plans, depending on the level of cover. Under the new legislation, it will rise to €222 and €444.
If the full 10% increase is passed on to consumers, premiums will rise by €20 and €41 per person.
However Minister for Health Simon Harris has said that insurance companies are not obliged to pass on the cost to consumers.
“I do not accept the argument that blanket higher premiums should necessarily arise from making these recommended changes,” he said.
“The amount of any increase or decrease individual insurers pass on to consumers is a commercial decision for each of them.”
Minister Harris said that the increased levy, which is included in the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill, is to support community rating so that older people and people with illnesses can get health insurance at the same price as other people.
Reaction
“Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for consumers, it has,” said Dermot Goode of insurance website totalhealthcover.ie.
“This is not just a levy on insurers – it’s a levy on private health insurance customers. As with any levy the health insurers will have no choice but to pass it on to consumers in the form of higher premiums, which means another round of price hikes for hard pressed consumers.”
He added:
All of this is on the back of increases of up to 10% on typical premiums over the course of the last 12 months.
The Department of Health has written to insurers already to inform them of the increase.
The change to the levy was recommended by the independent Health Insurance Authority, which is responsible for monitoring the health insurance market and advising the government on it.
The health insurance levy was introduced in 2009 to help fund lifetime community rating.
Goode said that the increase is likely to lead to more people down-grading their health insurance or cancelling their cover, leading to increased pressure on the public health system.
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Too much paperwork. This only adds to the burnout that many child protection workers face. The job of a social worker has become too administrative and less front line
@Alison Maguire: Do you think its the front line(visiting dysfunctional homes were there’s child abuse) or the admin element that causes turnover in staff ……
@Murr Paul: the frontline also deal with a lot of admin
I believe there is room for all, please note that some of the private agencies are social enterprises that re-investing the children in their care.
As a country though we need to really start investing in support of vulnerable families from pregnancy, good preschools good family support. Our legislation also needs a complete overhaul with a much stronger emphasis on what’s in a child’s best interest not the parents. A child in foster care can at any time be returned to the birth parents, how can a child fully commit to a new family if they are aware of this.
@Anne Kearney: A child in foster care can at any time be returned to the birth parents, how can a child fully commit to a new family if they are aware of this.
A child will always want to return to their parents as when turned 18 kick out by foster families regardless.
@Murr Paul: a significant number of foster carers would and do keep the child in their care after the age of 18. I feel some of the issue is the after care work that goes on from 15 or 16 preparing for independence can instill a fear in the child so there is increased acting out that causes the placement to break down. I reject you before you reject me. A lot of children during access are told that they can go home also the foster carers in their own eyes is only temporary. We need to be able to make a home more permanent for some children and carers.
Why do they try and privatise everything???
Never has a good outcome
In no way am I comparing a Child to a dog here but look what’s happened with privatization re Ashton Dog Pound. Neglect, Abuse, and power pulling where everyone in Dublin is in fear of calling for the dog warden.
@Margaret Doyle: You don’t want to compare the two, and yet you do.
€325 not much to cover all the costs involved with children who have been neglected. The government trying to do all the really important stuff on the Cheap again.
@Alan Kelly: what costs do they have more then any other child? They also receive child benefit, social welfare CDA increases etc. I know cases were they claimed the foster children were disabled to get carers allowance, care grant and domicile care allowance all untaxed. A right little money earner.
@Murr Paul: you cannot just CLAIM someone is disabled!!
Do you know the trauma these kids have been through? Do you know the time that goes into making sure all the needs of these kids at met?
@Murr Paul: would you work 24/7 for 1.93 euro an hour and take the child’s expenses out of that too.
@Murr Paul: What is wrong with you? The state is neglecting and allowing lifelong damage to occur to children. They are pouring money into private companies and you point to a baseless, imaginary problem of welfare fraud. Do you think that so you can feel better or are you just bitter or thick or both?
@Alan Kelly: Making foster caring financially too appetizing is far too dangerous. It attracts the worst of people, to the detriment of these especially vulnerable children. Of course low income families with the right intentions shouldn’t be excluded from fostering simply because they can’t afford it. But that’s why the system allows for specific expenses for the particular foster child in question (with receipts and review process with regards to expenses etc). But just a nice lump sum lodged into your account with no questions asked every month will end up attracting too much interest for all the wrong reasons.
The cost factor here must be quantified, the cost given of €1,000 in a private placement includes other support. It includes the cost of social work support available 24 hours a day 7 days a week not currently provided by Tusla. The private fostering agencies also provide support services such as educational supports child care workers etc.
The private agencies also may be asked to locate careers for children with a complex level of care needs.
have your say