The Health Insurance Authority

The Health Insurance Authority in Ireland was established under the Health Insurance Acts in 2001 and is an independent body with specific functions including:

• To monitor the health insurance market and to advise the Minister (either at his or her request or on its own initiative) on matters relating to health insurance;
• To monitor the operation of the Health Insurance Acts and, where appropriate, to issue enforcement notices to enforce compliance with the Acts;
• To carry out certain functions in relation to health insurance stamp duty and in relation to the Risk Equalisation Scheme;
• To carry out its functions in relation to the Risk Equalisation Fund;
• To take such action as it considers appropriate to increase the awareness of members of the public of their rights as consumers of health insurance and of health insurance services available to them; 
• To maintain “The Register of Health Benefits Undertakings” and “The Register of Health Insurance Contracts”.

The Authority shall exercise such powers as are necessary for the performance of its functions. The Minister for Health and Children (“the Minister”) may assign further responsibilities to the Authority as provided for in the Acts.

The Authority is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and as a public body is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts, 1997 and 2003 and the Data Protection Act 1998.

Their website www.hia.ie contains various useful comparison tools and FAQs advice for Irish consumers. You can compare various laya healthcare plans on our site here