Aviva to raises premiums by 15%

Aviva health insurance subscribers are facing increases of 15 per cent from next February.

The company said that the increases were necessary due to rises in medical inflation, escalating claims costs and higher charges to be put in place by the Government from January in respect of private beds in public hospitals.

However, Aviva also warned that controversial proposals put forward by the Minister for Health James Reilly to change the current system of designating beds in public hospitals for private patients “would have a significant impact on health insurance premiums”.

Aviva increased its prices on two occasions in 2011. It put in place a 14 per cent rise in March and a further increase of about 9 per cent in August.

Some 380,000 subscribers will be affected by the new price increase.