Lifetime Community Rating (LCR)

Lifetime community rating (LCR)

Lifetime Community Rating is a system where the older you are when you first buy health insurance, the more expensive it will be. This applies only to people from age 35 and above.

  • If you are aged 35 or above but you already have health insurance, the cost of your health insurance will not change based on your age.
  • If you are aged 35 or above when you first buy health insurance, you will have to pay an extra 2% of the gross cost of your policy for each year above the age of 34 that you didn’t have health insurance. This additional charge is called a Lifetime Community Rating loading.

For example, if you are 45 years old and you have had health insurance since you were 28, you will pay the same amount as someone aged 28 or aged 75 with the same health insurance policy. However, if you buy health insurance for the first time when you are 45, you will have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating of 22% (11 years x 2%). This means that you will have to pay €1220 for a health insurance policy with a gross cost of €1000.

If you are moving to Ireland from another country, go to Moving to Ireland for more information and examples.

Why was Lifetime Community Rating introduced?

Lifetime Community Rating was introduced to encourage people to join the health insurance market at a younger age. It helps to balance out the cost of health insurance for everyone because younger people usually make fewer claims compared to, for example, older claimants who may use health services more often. The community rating system generally bases premiums on the average cost of the risk to insure all persons on a policy rather than basing the premium on the risk it may cost to insure each individual person on the basis of their age, gender, health risk status or prior history of cover.

When was Lifetime Community Rating introduced?

Lifetime Community Rating loadings were introduced for the first time after 30 April 2015. They apply to people aged 35 and above who buy health insurance for the first time after April 2015.

How much is the loading?

The Lifetime Community Rating loading is 2% of the gross cost of your health insurance policy for each year that you spent aged 35 or above without health insurance. For example, if you buy health insurance for the first time when you are 49, you spent 15 years without health insurance when you were aged 35 or above. 15 years x 2% = 30%, so you will have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading of 30% on top of the gross cost of your policy.

Will I have to pay the loading for the rest of my life?

No. You will have to pay the loading for a maximum of 10 years.

What is the maximum loading?

The maximum loading is 70%. This applies to people aged 69 or above buying health insurance for the first time.

Are cash plans included in the Lifetime Community Rating?

No. Only inpatient health insurance policies are included in the Lifetime Community Rating. Cash plans won’t reduce your Lifetime Community Rating loading at all.

I previously had health insurance. Will this reduce my Lifetime Community Rating loading?

Yes. Your previous periods of cover will be taken into account when the insurer is calculating your Lifetime Community Rating loading. For example, if you are 40 years old and you don’t currently have health insurance, but you had health insurance for five years when you were aged 25 to 30, five years will be taken off your Lifetime Community Rating loading.

I was covered under my parent’s health insurance policy as a child. Will this reduce my Lifetime Community Rating loading?

No. You won’t get credit for any cover that you had as a child.

I am moving to Ireland from abroad. Will I have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading?

If you buy health insurance within nine months of becoming resident in Ireland, you won’t have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading. If you don’t buy health insurance within nine months and you are aged 35 or above, you will have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading.

For more information and examples, go to Moving to Ireland

I am moving back to Ireland after living abroad. Will I have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating?

If you lived outside of Ireland on 1 May 2015 and you buy health insurance within nine months of moving back to Ireland, you won’t have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading. If you lived in Ireland on 1 May 2015 and you moved abroad on or after 1 November 2018, you will be given credit for the period of time you spent abroad. You will not have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating for this qualifying period of time if you buy health insurance within nine months of returning to Ireland.

For more information and examples, go to Moving to Ireland

How do I prove that I was not resident in Ireland?

It is your responsibility to prove that you were not resident in Ireland. Some examples of evidence include:

  • Foreign rental agreements
  • Foreign bank statements
  • Foreign utility bills
  • Travel documents
  • An application for a PPS number within the last nine months

For more information, go to Moving to Ireland

I had to cancel my health insurance because I lost my job. Will I have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading for the years when I couldn’t afford health insurance?

You can get a credit for up to three years if you had health insurance but you had to cancel it because you were made redundant. To receive this credit, you must have been:

  1. Receiving social welfare payments or been financially dependent on someone who was receiving social welfare payments in the period right after you were made redundant;
  2. Unemployed for at least six months.

I used to have cover, but I cancelled my health insurance. Will I have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading?

If you previously had cover for three years or more but you cancel your insurance, you will be given credit for any periods without cover that began on or after 1 February 2019. The minimum period of cover that you can get credit for is six months. The maximum credit that you can receive is for one or more periods of six months or more adding up to a maximum of three years.

The three years don’t need to be made up of consecutive six-month periods, but when all periods are added together they must not exceed three years of being uninsured. The reason why you cancelled your insurance doesn’t matter under this provision.

Can I break my cover for a short period without affecting my Lifetime Community Rating loading?

Yes, you can have a break in cover of up to 13 weeks without being charged a Lifetime Community Rating loading.

Will all insurers apply the Lifetime Community Rating loading?

Yes, all insurers will apply the Lifetime Community Rating loading to their inpatient health insurance policies.

What happens if I switch insurer?

Switching insurer will not affect the Lifetime Community Rating loading you pay unless you have a break in cover of more than 13 weeks. If you are paying a Lifetime Community Rating loading with one insurer and then you switch, you will continue to pay the remaining portion of the loading with your new insurer.

You might be asked to show evidence of previous periods of cover. You can contact your previous insurer to ask for a confirmation of cover letter. 

What rules apply to former members of the Permanent Defence Forces?

If you buy health insurance within nine months of leaving the Permanent Defence Forces, you won’t have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading.

What rules apply to former members of the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme of the European Union (JSIS)?

If you buy health insurance within nine months of leaving JSIS, you won’t have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating loading.

Example

If you are 45 years old and you have had health insurance since you were 28, you will pay the same amount as someone aged 28 or aged 75 with the same health insurance policy. However, if you buy health insurance for the first time when you are 45, you will have to pay a Lifetime Community Rating of 22% (11 years x 2%). This means that you will have to pay €1220 for a health insurance policy with a gross cost of €1000.