Irish Life Health to hike prices again from next January

Ottoline Spearman

Irish Life Health will increase health insurance by an average of 5 per cent next January.

These changes apply to renewals on or after January 1st 2026. Mid-contract customers are unaffected until renewal.

This is the fourth increase since the start of the year reported the Irish Times, with the latest hike to see some family policies jump by over €250 a year.

Irish Life Health rolled out a 3.7 per cent average increase last January, followed by a 2 per cent hike in April and a 3 per cent increase in October.

The Health Insurance Authority said that consumers may find better value by shopping around and focusing on the benefits most important to them.

Brian Lee, HIA Chief Executive, said: "Our priority is to ensure consumers have clear, impartial information to make informed choices. We encourage everyone to review their plan annually and use our free comparison tool to find the best value for their needs."

HIA also has the following tips to save money:

• Shop around – older plans may offer less value than newer ones.
• Increase your hospital excess – if you’re in good health, a higher excess can reduce premiums.
• Reduce cover for benefits you don’t use – for example, if you have a medical card, consider a plan with lower day-to-day cover.
• Irish Life Health will send updated prices and benefits before your renewal, so review your options carefully.

Consumers can switch to any plan at renewal. You can use the free comparison tool at www.hia.ie or contact HIA at info@hia.ie or 01 406 0080.