The vast majority of people with private health insurance have never switched provider or plan despite rising prices and the potential for significant savings when shopping around, new research from the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) has revealed.
The survey carried out in conjunction with Ipsos and published on Tuesday suggests 46 per cent of adults in Ireland have private health insurance but 70 per cent have never switched to another company or plan.
Only 4 per cent of consumers switched provider over the past 12 months while 15 per cent moved to a different plan offered by their existing provider over the same time frame.
The reluctance to shop around comes despite the fact that the leading providers in Ireland have increased their prices on multiple occasions in recent years, with many policyholders hit with double-digit hikes since 2024.
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Health insurance experts have repeatedly highlighted how those who stick with the same policies for more than three years can end up paying hundreds of euro more each year than they need to and often for a reduced level of cover.
The HIA said the low level of switching despite the potential savings that are on the table reflected the complexity of the market and the challenges consumers face in comparing plans.
It said its survey involving more than 2,000 face-to-face interviews was the “most comprehensive picture of consumer behaviour, attitudes and experiences in Ireland’s private health insurance market”.
It found that 46 per cent of those who took part believed recent premium increases rolled out by all the main providers were unjustified, marking the highest level of dissatisfaction in a decade.
In 2025, average premiums rose from €1,827 to €1,902 according to HIA market bulletin figures, with some individual premiums rising much further.
A lack of movement in consumer behaviour persists and is reflected in purchasing behaviour and while 70 per cent of consumers who have switched said they “review their policy” at renewal, a striking 82 per cent did not shop around at all in the past 12 months.
Further evidence of limited consumer movement is shown with 74 per cent saying they had never considered switching providers and 66 per cent saying they have never even considered switching plans with the same provider, with consumers staying an average of 20 years on health insurance plans.
Satisfaction with providers and customer service also remains high, reinforcing inertia even as premiums rise.
A total of 61 per cent of those with health insurance said they viewed it as a necessity rather than a luxury, while 19 per cent of non-holders previously had a policy but cancelled it, the highest level of lapsing in more than a decade, with cost cited as the primary reason consumers give for not holding or giving up cover.
The HIA strongly encouraged consumers to take the time to review their plan and to shop around as it launched its new comparison tool.
It said it had been revamped and now matched plans to the consumer’s health need priorities and their budget and offers information on the plans that fit set criteria.
“Supporting and empowering consumers to make informed choices is central to the HIA’s mandate and a key ambition of the board,” its chairwoman Patricia Byron said. “In a market characterised by low levels of mobility and limited consumer engagement, improving transparency and access to clear, independent information is essential.”
The authority’s chief executive Brian Lee echoed those comments and said “even small adjustments can make a meaningful difference to cost while still ensuring you have the cover that suits you”.
