lifetime community rating

Lifetime Community Rating (LCR)

Starting health insurance at age 35 or older? Your premium may be higher because of age-related rules.

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What is LCR?

The cost of private health insurance in Ireland includes an age-related rule called Lifetime Community Rating (LCR) since 2015. This means: 

  • If you take out health insurance for the first time at age 35 or older, you'll pay an extra charge on your premium. This is called an age-related loading, and it's based on your age when you join. The older you are, the higher the loading.
  • LCR was introduced to encourage people to start health insurance earlier and keep their cover over time. 

  • If you already have health insurance, this won't affect you. However, if you are aged 35 or over when you first take out private health insurance, you will pay an additional charge of 2% for each year that you are aged 35 and over, up to a maximum of 70% for those joining at age 69 or over.
  • Changes to the rules around waiting periods and pre-existing conditions came into effect for anyone buying private health insurance for the first time, renewing or upgrading their cover from 1st May 2015.
  • The definition for pre-existing conditions has been amended and waiting periods applying to pre-existing conditions have been standardised for all age groups to 5 years for new joiners and 2 years for cover upgrades.
  • LCR loadings will apply for a maximum period of 10 years.

  • Credit for breaks in the past when you had private health insurance as an adult. 
  • Credit for breaks in private health insurance of at least 6 months duration, up to a cumulative total of 3 years credit. This credit may only be claimed if a person has had cumulative 3 years coverage in the PMI market before break in cover credit can be given.

Credit also applies if...

  • Credit for periods while you were a member of Permanent Defence Forces or the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme of the European Union, provided you become an insured person on or after 1st September 2018 and within 9 months of ending your membership. 
  • Credit for periods where in certain specified circumstances, you gave up your private health insurance due to unemployment.  
  • If you lived overseas on the 1st May 2015 and subsequently returned to Ireland, you will be entitled to a grace period of 9 months within which you can buy private health insurance without any age at entry loadings.
  • Credit for those who have resided outside the state provided they take up PMI within 9 months of ceasing to reside outside the state.

Find out more about how these special considerations may apply to you through the HIA.