We all know the importance of a regular health check-up. Just like our bodies can age and change, our Health Insurance policy can no longer fit our needs as well as they once did. Health insurance is often one of our biggest annual expenses and where most of us shop around for better deals on utility bills or phone providers, when it comes to health insurance, many people simply let it renew automatically without a second thought.

At Cornmarket, we review over 100,000* health insurance policies every year and see many people overpaying by hundreds of euro because they don’t review their cover. With prices rising and benefits changing all the time, it’s never been more important to give your policy an annual check-up.

So, is your Health Insurance due a check-up? Here are 5 signs it might be time to take a closer look…

1. You’ve automatically renewed

If you simply renew your plan each year without reviewing it, there are three big pitfalls you need to be aware of:

  • You’ve accepted the price increase — When you renew without reviewing your plan, you’ve essentially agreed to the insurer’s price increase, which could be anywhere from €150 to €700 or even more depending on your plan and how many people are on it.
  • Your benefits may have changed. But it’s not just about price. Even if your plan name hasn’t changed, your benefits might have. Insurers regularly update plans, adjust hospital lists, or change excess amounts.
  • You might be on a legacy plan. Around half of Irish consumers are still on older plans that are 7–10 years old. These are the most expensive plans, having received the highest rate increases over time.

If you haven’t changed your plan in years, there’s a good chance you’re paying far more than you should.

2. Everyone in the Family is on the same plan

Health insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. A single plan rarely suits every member of a family. Splitting your cover means everyone gets what they need, and you avoid paying for benefits that aren’t relevant to certain family members. An example of this could be:

  • Mam or Dad might require stronger hospital cover for cardiac or orthopaedic procedures.
  • Your 22-year-old might be active in sports and value cover for minor injury clinics or physiotherapy.
  • Your children might need fast access to diagnostics or consultants. Often, they don’t require the same cover as their parent as the more significant paediatric care mostly takes place in public hospitals.

Splitting your family’s cover means each person gets the right protection and you don’t overpay for benefits you’ll never use.

3. You’re paying for cover you don’t use

If you’re happy using hospitals like the Hermitage, Beacon or St. Vincent’s, there may be no need to pay extra for access to the Mater Private or Blackrock Clinic. Likewise, if you rarely claim for day-to-day expenses like GP or physio visits, you might not need that level of outpatient cover. Removing unnecessary extras can reduce your premium by hundreds of euro a year, without sacrificing the protection that really matters to you.

4. You’re missing out on child & young adult discounts

Depending on the time of year, insurers offer some great family savings:

  • Free cover for kids under 3
  • “Pay for one, get the rest free” child offers
  • Up to 50% off for children up to age 17
  • And for young adults (ages 20–25), discounts of up to 50% off standard adult rates.

These offers can make a big difference, so always ask what’s available before you renew or use a service like Cornmarket who can do the hard work for you and search the market to find discounts that suit your family. We’ve saved our customers over €700 on their family’s health insurance!**

 5. You’re afraid to switch

Many people stick with their current insurer out of fear or think it’s too complicated but switching is safe, easy, and can save you hundreds. All your waiting periods transfer automatically when you move to a new insurer or plan, as long as you keep continuous cover. So there’s no downside when switching to a plan offering similar cover,  just the potential to get better value and benefits for your money.

 

Time for your Health Insurance check-up?

If any of these signs sound familiar, it could be the perfect time to give your health insurance a once over.

The good news? You don’t have to do it alone. You can leave it to the experts. Just give us a call & let us try find you better cover, for less-it’s what we do best! We’ll compare your plan across all insurers, review your benefits & help save you money!

We have a great track record! In 2025, we saved our customers over €3 MILLION by reviewing their Health Insurance with us.***

Give us a call on (01) 420 0999 or compare your plan in seconds using our online health insurance comparison tool.

*Source: Cornmarket, Oct 2025.

**Based on 2,021 families (2 adults, 2 children) who reviewed their cover between May 2024 & May 2025. Source, Cornmarket October 2025.

***Based on 10,302 customer policies reviewed from January 2025 to November 2025. Source, Cornmarket November 2025.