Health Insurance Comparison Tool

Enabling consumers to make confident, informed health insurance choices

Web Application UX Design Web Development

The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) is Ireland’s statutory regulator for private health insurance. Its mission is to make the market transparent and help consumers make informed choices.

In 2023, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) published Testing a Behaviourally Informed Product Comparison Tool for Private Health Insurance. The study demonstrated that presenting insurance choices through clear, sequential steps increased user satisfaction and confidence.

When the HIA commissioned a new version of its comparison tool, we used these behavioural insights as the foundation for our UX strategy.

The Challenge

Almost half of Ireland’s population now holds private health insurance, spending an average of €1,740 each year (HIA Market Report 2024). With premiums rising, the stakes for families are high. Yet the process of comparing plans - across hundreds of products and benefits - was confusing, time-consuming, and stressful for consumers. Furthermore, insurers present their data in a variety of different ways making plans difficult for consumers to compare. For the HIA, the challenge went beyond usability. They needed a secure, scalable system that would:

  • Give consumers clarity and confidence in their insurance choices.
  • Parse insurer plan data into a more user-friendly format for simplified comparison.
  • Provide insurers with streamlined, automated data submission.
  • Enable HIA staff to manage, verify, and report on market data.
  • Meet the highest standards of data protection and compliance.

Our Approach

We began with a human-centred design process. Through workshops, data analysis, prototyping, and user testing, we uncovered how consumers wanted to engage with comparison tools:

  • Simplicity first; clear language, visual guidance, and easy prioritisation of what matters most (e.g., maternity care, overseas cover).
  • Progressive disclosure; showing only the information needed at each stage.
  • Dynamic comparison; a flexible interface enabling side-by-side evaluation and real-time filtering for further refinement.

Early wireframes focused on simplifying comparisons and providing only the most relevant coverage area choices. We tested interactive prototypes with consumers and HIA stakeholders in multiple rounds, refining the flow based on feedback. This led to practical, evidence-based features: a drag-and-drop coverage ranking tool, progressive filtering with live results, and a clear final comparison view of the most suitable plans. 

Key Innovations

For Public Users:

  • Drag-and-drop coverage ranking, a simple way for users to prioritise coverage areas of importance to them.
  • Smart filtering with progress bar, allowing users to refine levels of cover, step by step, watching plans narrow down in real time.
  • Product Selection Algorithm: A sophisticated algorithm, based on ESRI report findings and enhanced with machine learning
  • Detailed final comparison view, a clear side-by-side comparison, showing benefits and key differences.
  • Highlight summary of important information per benefit to facilitate easy comparison.
  • Printer-friendly outputs, supporting offline decision-making for families.

For HIA & Insurers:

  • Secure portals with role-based dashboards for staff and insurers.
  • Parsing algorithms and mechanisms to streamline complex adhoc, text-based data formats into formats suitable for comparison.
  • Automated data submission via REST APIs, cutting manual effort and errors.
  • Comprehensive administrative tools for managing plans, verifying submissions, and generating reports.

Security & Trust

Given the sensitivity of health data, security was non-negotiable. We implemented:

  • Communicraft’s certified ISO 27001-aligned processes
  • Compliance with GDPR and EU data protection laws
  • Encrypted communications (SSL)
  • Two-factor authentication for administrators and insurers
  • Rigorous access controls and a secure development lifecycle

Results & Impact

The new platform assists users in navigating the Irish health insurance market by:

  • Empowering consumers to find the right cover at the right price with clarity and confidence.
  • Streamlining operations for insurers and HIA staff, reducing errors, and increasing efficiency.
  • Ensuring compliance and trust through world-class security and governance.
  • Promoting inclusivity with high accessibility standards. (WCAG) 2.2
  • Most importantly, it turned what can often be a confusing, stressful decision into a clear, guided journey that helps families and individuals make informed, affordable choices.

Conclusion

This project demonstrates how intuitive design with advanced functionality and rigorous security can come together to solve complex challenges. Together with the HIA, we created a secure, accessible, and scalable platform that supports a healthier, more transparent insurance market.