Questions

1132. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health her views on whether it is acceptable that health insurance providers are entitled to penalise insured persons if they choose to upgrade their policies by creating an interim period whereby cover is not provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34669/26]

1133. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if she will take steps to ensure that health insurance providers are not allowed to penalise customers who are already in receipt of health insurance cover, for upgrading their policies by creating an interim period whereby cover is not provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34670/26]

1134. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if she will confirm whether it is the case that health insurance providers are entitled to penalise customers that have existing health insurance policies for upgrading to a higher level of cover by creating an interim period whereby cover is not provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34671/26]

1135. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding any engagement she has had with private health insurance companies to ensure that their customers are treated fairly and within the parameters of their insurance agreements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34672/26]

2741. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason that when a person changes health insurance policies mid-contract, they must pay stamp duty on both the former contract and the new contract as per HIA legislation; if any measures are being considered by her Department to alter this legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23969/26]

1036. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Health if her Department intends to review the operation of private health insurers in relation to coverage for medically indicated liposuction procedures for lipoedema patients, in light of concerns regarding inconsistent decision-making, the application of criteria designed for lymphoedema rather than lipoedema, and practices that may result in patients being forced …

526. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the position regarding any engagement she has had with the major health insurance providers in Ireland in relation to the increasing premiums facing their customers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3020/26]

527. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health the actions she is taking to seek to reduce the cost of Health Insurance premiums in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3021/26]

528. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to cases whereby people are unable to afford health insurance premiums but feel forced to due to the length of waiting lists in public hospitals; the actions she is taking to address these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3022/26]

297. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the measures her Department and the Health Insurance Authority are taking in response to ongoing premium increases by private health insurers, including recent price adjustments by a company (details supplied); if she will consider options to strengthen consumer protection and improve transparency in the regulation of private health insuranc…

1814. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health her plans to deal with the exorbitant increases in health insurance premiums, as many policies have doubled in price in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58674/25]

652. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has carried out an assessment of the cumulative impact of recent premium increases by private health insurers on families and older persons; and if she will publish that assessment. [53423/25]

653. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the engagement her Department has had with the Health Insurance Authority regarding multiple premium increases in 2025; and whether measures are being considered to improve affordability for policyholders. [53424/25]

654. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the estimated number of policyholders who will face annual health insurance premium increases of more than €500 following the most recent changes by providers (details supplied); and if she will provide a breakdown by insurer. [53425/25]

655. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will report on the trend in voluntary health insurance coverage rates since 2020; and whether recent increases in premiums risk reducing coverage among middle-income households. [53426/25]

656. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the measures being examined by her Department to protect consumers from unexpected or multiple premium hikes within a single year; and if she will consider requiring insurers to provide advance notice and transparent justification of such increases. [53427/25]

657. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she has examined the extent to which rising private health insurance costs are leading to increased pressure on the public hospital system; and if her Department has commissioned any modelling in this regard. [53428/25]

658. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she will outline the engagement her Department has had with the Department of Finance regarding taxation treatment of health insurance reliefs in the context of rising premiums; and whether any changes are being considered to maintain affordability. [53429/25]

659. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if she has met with representatives of providers (details supplied) in 2025 to discuss premium increases; if so, on what dates; and if she will publish the minutes of those meetings. [53430/25]

2108. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has conducted an impact assessment of the latest increases in private health insurance premiums, particularly in view of the concurrent launch of so-called "cheaper" plans which reportedly restrict access to many public and private hospitals and may offer diminished coverage: if she is satisfied that sufficient regulatory oversight exists to pre…

30. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health the steps she is taking to improve transparency and scrutiny in relation to the amount hospitals are charging health insurance companies in order to address rising premiums. [33416/25]

758. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 330 of 20 May 2025, in which the Minister for Finance clarified that provision and regulation of private health insurance is a matter for the Minister for Health, if she is aware of the fact that sports insurance firms are not paying for upfront medical costs (details supplied); and if she will instruct her Department to inves…

270. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently address the anomaly in health insurance costs in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4998/25]