Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone buy private health insurance?

Yes — if you are ordinarily resident in the Republic of Ireland, you can buy private health insurance regardless of your age, gender, health status or medical history.

Does my age, medical history or gender affect the premium?

• Generally no in the sense that insurers cannot refuse you cover or charge you differently purely because of health status.
• But there is something called Lifetime Community Rating (LCR): If you are aged 35 or over when you first take out health insurance (or if you have a break in cover of more than 13 weeks when you are aged 35+), you may pay an additional loading (a percentage extra) on your premium for the years you did not have cover.

What are “waiting periods”?

When you first take out a policy (or upgrade to a higher cover), you may have to wait for a certain period before you get full benefit for certain treatments (especially for pre‑existing conditions).
For example:

• A new condition (after you join) might be subject to a maximum wait (e.g., 26 weeks) before inpatient cover.
• A pre‑existing condition may have a longer waiting period (often many years) to be eligible.

What kinds of cover/benefits do private health insurance policies provide?

Some of the key benefits you may get:

• Cover for being a private or semi‑private patient in hospital (e.g., a private room or better accommodation) and treatment by a consultant.
• Additional benefits may include maternity cover, psychiatric treatment, outpatient benefits, overseas cover depending on policy.
• Note: There are also “cash‑plans” which are more limited (they pay fixed amounts rather than full medical cost cover) and are different from full inpatient health insurance.

What is Lifetime Community Rating (LCR)?

• It’s a system designed to encourage people to take out health insurance earlier rather than later.
• If you first take out a policy at age 35 or older (or you have a break in cover of more than 13 weeks when you are 35+), you may pay an extra 2% loading for each year you were over age 34 without cover.
• If you already had cover before age 35 and maintained it, then your premium will not continue to increase just because you age.

Can I switch insurers or change my policy?

Yes — but there are some things to watch:

• Most health insurance policies are annual contracts. You can switch insurer or policy at renewal.
• If you move to a policy with higher benefits, you may have to serve upgrade waiting periods.
• If you stop cover for more than 13 weeks and you are 35+, you may incur an LCR loading when you restart.

How do I choose the right policy for me?

Some practical questions to ask:

• What hospitals are included in the policy network?
• What treatments are covered (inpatient, outpatient, maternity etc)?
• What are the waiting periods for the level of cover you want?
• What is your budget? What benefits are most important to you?
• Use the HIA’s comparison tool or speak to a broker if needed.

If I move to Ireland (or return after time abroad), what should I know?

• If you move to Ireland and become ordinarily resident, you can buy private health insurance.
• If you are aged 35 or older and you take out your first policy in Ireland more than nine months after becoming resident, you may face an LCR loading.