HIA to spend €600k on two upcoming campaigns

A spokesperson for the Authority said it would be engaging in “two advertising campaigns from November 2018 to January 2019”. One of the campaigns will focus on lifetime community rating.  

“The first campaign will focus on those without health insurance, with an aim of encouraging them to consider current or potential future requirements in regard to private health insurance that they may require. Since the introduction of lifetime community rating, late entry into the market may result in premium loadings being applied,” said the HIA’s spokesperson.

“The second campaign aims to encourage policy-holders to actively review their current health insurance before renewing. The budget for these campaigns is circa €600,000 in total.”

Last year, the HIA spent €537,049 on advertising, and €266,700 in 2016, the HIA’s spokesperson told the <strong>Medical Independent</strong> (<strong>MI</strong>). The Authority will disclose its total advertising spend for 2018 when it publishes its Annual Report and Accounts in July 2019.

“Part of the HIA’s role is to provide information and awareness to consumers to help inform and deepen their understanding [of the] private health insurance market. Advertising campaigns across print, radio, TV and digital media represents one element of the HIA’s communications campaign to help inform the public,” outlined its spokesperson.

They added that the HIA “will continue to review any further advertising campaigns that would benefit information regarding the private health insurance market to consumers”.

The numbers of people with private insurance had increased to 2.17 million, or 45 per cent of the population, as of 31 December 2017, according to the Authority’s annual report.