VHI paid out more than £156 million on 170,920 claims in the six months to August this year, according to figures released by it yesterday.

Some 250 claims cost more than £12,000 each, with the most expensive being coronary-related procedures on which the VHI had claims totalling £23 million for the six months to August. The second most expensive claims were for cancer treatment, totalling £18.3 million, followed by digestive-related illnesses, for which claims amounted to £15.3 million.

VHI, which is in competition with BUPA, has claimed a record number of members, 1,452,582, and said the average age of new customers is 28, six years younger than the average age of VHI's overall membership. The 19-29 age group now represents 16 per cent of total membership, according to the figures.