Dept of Health opted for dearer insurance levy

Some 300,000 consumers have been forced to pay more for their health insurance after the Department of Health followed VHI's policy recommendations and went against the advice of the Health Insurance Authority (HIA).

The department announced plans to introduce a levy of €290 per adult with non-advanced, or cheaper, private health insurance cover, €100 more than the HIA recommended in a report last November 16.

Just three days after the HIA report, the ...