LAST UPDATE | 26 Aug

VHI IS INCREASING the cost of its health insurance plans by an average of 3% from October.

The insurance provider has said that the increase is “necessary” as it “navigates the dual challenges of an increase in demand for healthcare and an increase in the cost of delivering that healthcare”.

The change will take effect for customers from 1 October.

It’s not the first insurance provider to announce price hikes this month; Laya Healthcare and Irish Life have both made similar moves.

VHI has said that the volume of healthcare for its members in private hospitals, day hospitals and non-hospital settings has increased by 9% in the last 12 months.

At the same time, it has seen a 13% increase in private hospital claims costs compared to 2024 and a 9% increase in the cost of primary care claims, it said.

The company has released examples of how the price changes will affect customers.

Here’s how the annual cost for an adult paying standard rates for the following plans will change:

• the PublicPlusCare Day-to-Day plan would rise from €589.79 to €595.68, a 49 cent increase per month,
• the EnhancedCare 250 plan would rise from €1,241.97 to €1,256.38, a €1.20 increase per month,
• the AdvancedCare Day-to-Day plan would rise from €2,739.21 to €2,827.38, a €7.35 increase per month,
• the FirstCare 500 Day-to-Day plan would rise from €981.64 to €1,046.63, a €5.42 increase per month,
• and the PMI 35 13 plan would rise from €1,784.13 to €1,853.57, a €5.79 increase per month.

Changes will also apply to child and family rates.

In limited cases, the overhaul to prices could mean a drop in costs, particularly for the child rates on the AdvancedCare Day-to-Day and FirstCare 500 Day-to-Day plans.

Two weeks ago, Laya Healthcare announced that it is increasing plans by an average of 4.5% from 1 October. It intends to retire 10 existing plans and introduce three new ones.

Last week, Irish Life said it will be raising the cost of its adult health insurance plans by an average of 3%.