It will make it easier for you to understand your options and choose a health insurance plan. Our comparison tool is independent and impartial . It might be useful to think about how often you expect to claim under a particular benefit and work out whether it’s good value for you to have this benefit in your policy. This means that even if you have cover for a private room, you may have to share a room if there are no private rooms available. You should check the level of cover and the terms and conditions before you enter into any health insurance contract.
Can I claim tax relief on my health insurance?
- Information about how we regulate, Register of health benefits undertakings, Register of Health Insurance Contracts, and Definitive Hospital List.
- If you are not covered by your insurance, you may have to pay for the treatment yourself.
- You can buy health insurance when you become ordinarily resident in the Republic of Ireland.
- However, this is subject to availability in the hospital.
- Sometimes it’s hard to tell how much you could benefit from private health insurance.
The comparison tool gives you the best options based on your own specific health insurance needs and requirements. We provide impartial information about health insurance to the public, and we have a free online health insurance comparison tool. The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) is the State body that regulates the private health insurance market in Ireland. Sometimes private health insurance contracts include an excess. Sometimes it’s hard to tell how much you could benefit from private health insurance. For example, if you need regular physiotherapy, you should choose a policy that has good outpatient cover.
Depending on your level of cover, your health insurance may not fully cover the total cost of your stay in hospital. However, some policies have limited cover or cover only a semi-private room. There are no private maternity hospitals in Ireland.
However, you may have to serve waiting periods lucknation casino no deposit bonus if you have a pre-existing condition. You can buy health insurance regardless of your age, gender, health status or medical history. Policies with higher cover also cover the anaesthetist, pathology, and a paediatric consultation in hospital. All policies cover your inpatient delivery consultant’s fees.
Insurance Plan Updates: New, Retired & Updated Plans from 1 December 2025
If you are unhappy with the cost of your health insurance, you can switch policies or insurers at your renewal date. If you pay your insurer directly for your health insurance, medical insurance tax relief is available at source and is applied by the insurer to reduce the gross cost of your policy. Most health insurance policies cover three nights in a private room (subject to availability). Most health insurance policies cover the cost of consultant services provided during a stay in hospital. Check your health insurance policy documentation for full details of your level of cover.
Switching or renewing your cover
In general, health insurance policies are 12-month contracts. If you have completed your new customer waiting periods, you will be covered immediately for any pre-existing condition. Anyone can buy health insurance regardless of age, gender, health status or medical history. These policies provide fixed amounts of money regardless of the actual cost of your medical expenses.
Before entering into a health insurance contract, you should check what level of hospital accommodation cover you have. Read our guide to choosing a health insurance policy for more detailed information. We have lots of helpful information about health insurance on our website, including our free comparison tool. Depending on your policy, you may get some money back for outpatient consultant services. You won’t have cover for inpatient consultant services provided during a stay in hospital. You can buy a cash plan from HSF Health Plan, Irish Life Health, Laya Healthcare or Vhi Healthcare.
This helps the tool understand what you’re looking for. Information about how we regulate, Register of health benefits undertakings, Register of Health Insurance Contracts, and Definitive Hospital List. We regulate for a well-functioning market and provide consumers with information and tools to make informed choices. Yes, a regulated financial advisor or salesperson may be able to help you choose a policy that is suitable for your needs.
Laya Healthcare Price and Benefit Changes – Effective 1 December 2025
Not sure if you’re on the right health insurance plan? The health insurance system in Ireland is community rated. If your complaint isn’t resolved after speaking to your insurer, you should contact the relevant regulator.
Private health insurance covers some of the costs of private maternity services in a public hospital. If you have private health insurance, your insurer may cover some or all of these costs depending on your level of cover. Some insurers routinely waive waiting periods if you have previously had health insurance in Ireland or if you were covered by certain types of health insurance while abroad. However, you may have to serve waiting periods when you first buy health insurance or when you move to a policy with higher benefits. The Health Insurance Authority provides this comparison tool to assist consumers in comparing private health insurance products available in the Republic of Ireland.
This may be another way to reduce the cost of your health insurance. If you are not willing to take this risk, choose a policy without an excess. You may be able to find a cheaper policy if you are willing to take on the risk of potentially paying an excess. An excess is the first part of any insurance claim that you have to pay yourself. When you are choosing a policy, you should consider your lifestyle and current health needs.
There is a 52-week waiting period for maternity cover if you buy health insurance for the first time or if you upgrade your existing maternity cover. Maternity cover is included in all health insurance policies. These tax credits are funded by a health insurance levy (also referred to as Stamp Duty) paid by the insurers. If an insurer has decided to automatically include this discount, it will be reflected in the price shown on our comparison tool. A pre-existing condition is an illness that you had in the six months before you bought your health insurance policy. However, you should be prepared to pay a shortfall, as most policies cover only a portion of the fees, and the outpatient consultant fees may cost some several thousand euro more.
- This may be another way to reduce the cost of your health insurance.
- Fertility cover is not included in all policies.
- When you are choosing a policy, you should consider your lifestyle and current health needs.
- You might have to serve waiting periods if you move to a policy with higher benefits.
- Cash plans don’t provide cover for a hospital stay as a private patient.
- You can switch insurer or policy at your next renewal date.
Similarly, if you are admitted to hospital, you will need to tell the hospital whether you want to be admitted as a public patient or a private patient. Any person who is ordinarily resident in the Republic of Ireland can buy health insurance regardless of age, gender, health status or medical history. The data presented on this website is submitted by regulated insurers and is published by the HIA following a quality assurance process undertaken by the HIA. This will bring you directly to a comparison page showing just the plans you’ve selected.
When you’re ready, click Choose coverage preferences. The tool starts with one adult and today’s date by default. You’ll be asked if you currently have health insurance. This helps us understand the amount of cover you want and what your budget is.
The comparison tool will give you an overview of the features and benefits of all private health insurance plans available in Ireland. However, if you already have inpatient health insurance, check your cover before you buy a cash plan, as many inpatient health insurance policies include outpatient benefits. The same rules around waiting periods, upgrading, and switching your policy apply to cash plans as inpatient health insurance policies.
Contact the insurer directly to find out if you will have to serve waiting periods. You may have to serve waiting periods if you have a break in cover of more than 13 weeks. In some cases, insurers will allow you to switch policies mid-contract. However, if you move to a policy with higher benefits, you may have to serve upgrade waiting periods. You may have to serve upgrade waiting periods if you move to a policy with higher benefits. You may have to serve waiting periods when you buy health insurance for the first time.