(1) The principal objective of this Act is to ensure that, in the interests of the common good and across the health insurance market, access to health insurance cover is available to consumers of health services with no differentiation made between them (whether effected by risk equalisation credits or stamp duty measures or other measures, or any combination thereof), in particular as regards the costs of health services, based in whole or in part on the health risk status, age or sex of, or frequency of provision of health services to, any such consumers or any class of such consumers, and taking into particular account for the purposes of that objective -
(a) the fact that the health needs of consumers of health services increase as they become less healthy, including as they approach and enter old age,
(b) the desirability of ensuring, in the interests of societal and intergenerational solidarity, and regardless of the health risk status or age of, or frequency of provision of hea
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