The medical insurance market is somewhat unconventional in Ireland. Whereas a variety of established UK-based organisations offer health insurance products in NI and competition is strong, the RoI market was entirely monopolised by a single entity, VHI, until 1994.

The RoI government has attempted to diversify the market with varying degrees of success, yet existing providers enjoy a relatively high penetration rate for their products.

This report seeks to assess the key issues in the Irish market, by means of penetration levels, outlining driving factors in the market and profiling the main providers of private medical insurance.