Mark I. Says:
What are the estimated monthly payments for healthcare in Ireland?
IL Lifestyle Editor Sean Keenan Says:
Hi Mark,
All persons who are considered “normally resident” in Ireland are entitled to receive healthcare through the public healthcare system, which does not have any monthly costs.
However, the public system often involves long waiting times, so many people in Ireland opt for private care, which means taking out private health insurance.
Basic annual cover starts from as little as €394 ($425), or around €33 ($35) per month.
In Ireland, individuals pay the same premium for a particular health insurance plan, irrespective of age, gender and the current/future state of their health. This is known as community rating.
However, new laws came into force on 1st May 2015, that introduced Lifetime Community Rating. The new law has modified community rating to reflect the age at which a person takes out private health insurance.
Now, if you are aged 35 or over, a percentage loading will be applied to the premium.
The loading is easily calculated. At age 35 you will pay an additional 2% on top of your premium. Every year that you are older than that, it will incur a further 2% up to a maximum of 70%.
As an example: A basic health plan with a premium of €394, would cost a new policy purchaser aged 55 an additional 40%.
Read more about life in Ireland as an expat on the dedicated resource page of the IL website.
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