S.I. No. 80/1996:

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT, 1994 (REGISTRATION) REGULATIONS, 1996.

HEALTH INSURANCE ACT, 1994 (REGISTRATION) REGULATIONS, 1996.

The Minister for Health in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 3 and 14 of the Health Insurance Act, 1994 (No. 16 of 1994) hereby makes the following Regulations--

PART I GENERAL

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Health Insurance Act, 1994 (Registration) Regulations, 1996.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 28th day of March, 1996.

3. In these Regulations--

"insured person" means a person named in a health insurance contract as an insured person or an infant born to a person named in a health insurance contract as an insured person provided that in the case of an infant the person who effected the health insurance contract requests that the health insurance contract be altered to name such infant as an insured person, and pays the appropriate premium in respect of such infant, within 13 weeks of the date of birth of the. infant.

PART II THE REGISTER

4. The Register shall be--

(i) a legible record, or

(ii) a record that is not in legible form, or

(iii) a record that is legible and in a form that is not legible.

5. The Register shall contain the following particulars--

( a ) the name of the undertaking;

( b ) the address of the head office of the undertaking.

6. Registration shall be for a twelve month period.

PART III REGISTRATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE UNDERTAKINGS PURSUANT TO SECTION 14 (5) OF THE HEALTH INSURANCE ACT, 1994

7. A restricted membership undertaking shall be registered if it complies with the following conditions--

(i) in the case of an undertaking providing cover solely for ancillary health benefits if it is registered as a friendly society pursuant to the Friendly Societies Acts, 1896 to 1977 and complies with the provisions of the Health Insurance Act, 1994 ; or

(ii) in the case of an undertaking being a registered friendly society pursuant to the Friendly Societies Acts, 1896 to 1977 providing cover for hospital in-patient services, if it complies with the provisions of the Health Insurance Act, 1994 and it can provide reasonable evidence that there are at least 10,000 individuals who are insured persons or likely to become insured persons named in health insurance contracts effected with the undertaking within a period of six months of the registration of the undertaking; or

(iii) if it was lawfully carrying on health insurance business in the State on the 30th day of June 1994 and complies with the provisions of the Health Insurance Act, 1994 .

8. An undertaking other than a restricted membership undertaking shall be registered upon application if it is the holder of an authorisation (within the meaning of the European Communities (Non-life Insurance) Framework Regulations, 1994 ( S.I. No. 359 of 1994 )) for the time being in force to carry on non-life insurance business and complies with the provisions of the Health Insurance Act, 1994 .

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health, this

28th day of March, 1996.

MICHAEL NOONAN,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provide for a Register of health benefits undertakings to be established and give the details to be contained in the Register. They set out the conditions for the registration of restricted membership undertakings.