Employers play an important and growing role in sponsoring private health cover as a workrelated benefit. A large part of private health insurance policies in OECD countries with the highest levels of PHI population coverage are provided through the workplace. For example, this is the case in the United States and Canada (almost 90% of PHI policies), the Netherlands (60%), and France (50%). Despite the expansion in eligibility for public health programmes, PHI coverage in Ireland has shown an uninterrupted growth over the past decades, linked to its increasing provision by employers within a fast growing economy. Employers appear to be more powerful agents than individuals.
