The Labour Party Spokesperson on Health, Liz McManus, has called on the Tánaiste Mary Harney to carefully consider the application for subscription increases by VHI Healthcare.
The insurance firm says it plans to increase subscriptions for its 1.5 million members by an average of 12.5% from September.
Describing the proposed increase as 'very steep', Ms McManus said it would particularly affect people who already find it difficult to meet existing premium charges.
The VHI says it lost more than €32m in the year to February last, after a surplus of nearly €4m the previous year.
The company has blamed the absence of risk equalisation in the health insurance market for its loss.
Risk equalisation is a system under which rival insurers would compensate the VHI for having a greater number of older and more expensive high risk members.
The Government decided to introduce the scheme from January. The outcome of a High Court challenge by BUPA Ireland to the introduction of risk equalisation is awaited.
