The Alliance for Insurance Reform has welcomed its latest member, Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI).
HCCI is the national membership organisation for 22 companies that provide a managed home care service in Ireland. HCCI unites members who directly care for 20,000 older and vulnerable people in their homes. HCCI members provide a fully managed care service through 10,000 directly employed and trained care staff.
Joseph Musgrave, CEO of HCCI said “It is fundamental to a properly functioning home care service that insurance premiums are proportionate and affordable with the full range of coverage offered – the spiral of ever-increasing insurance costs needs to end.”
Peter Boland, Director of the Alliance said “While we warmly welcome HCCI to our Alliance, it is frustrating that an organisation so focused on the care of so many older and vulnerable people in their homes during Covid-19 feels obliged to join us right now. Insurance should not be on their agenda, particularly at the moment. We call on the Government to urgently accelerate the pace of insurance reform so that HCCI members can focus on delivering an excellent home care service for their clients both during and after the pandemic.
”In particular, we ask that they prioritise the following real reforms:
1. Reduce unfair general damages to reflect international norms and the principles already established by the higher courts – including that ‘minor injuries attract modest damages’
2. Review and re-balance the ‘common duty of care’ to require occupiers to take a duty of care that is reasonable, practical and proportionate
3. Support a fully-resourced Garda Insurance Fraud Unit
4. Reform and strengthen PIAB
5. Insist on insurers committing to a schedule of forecast reductions for planned reforms”
The Alliance now brings together 40 civic and business organisations from across Ireland, representing over 55,000 members, 700,000 employees, 599,000 volunteers and 374,000 students in highlighting the negative impact of persistently high premiums and calling for real reforms that will quickly reduce liability and motor insurance premiums to affordable levels and keep them that way.
