# Health Insurance Advice



## thespecialon (30 May 2007)

Hi all,

Hoping I could get some recomendations on which company + plan health insurance cover I should go for.
Details are - Couple,Mid-20's,both healthy(as far as we know),non-smokers,occasional drinkers,no children but possibly within the next 2-3 years. which plan would be most suitable to us based on cost + level of care recevied if required in the future?

Thanks,
T.


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## Brendan Burgess (30 May 2007)

Sure - the best advice for young healthy people is that they do not need health insurance. You would pay way over the odds to pay for the smokers, the elderly and the chronically ill.

Put the premium into a unit linked fund until you incur medical expenses.

Brendan


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## thespecialon (30 May 2007)

never though about it that way - any1 agree with this?or disagree?


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## terrysgirl33 (30 May 2007)

Well, if you are planning on starting a family in 2-3 years time, it would be worth having insurance for the female half of the couple, starting 52 weeks before she gets pregnant, to keep your options open.


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## Violet Rose (30 May 2007)

i didnt think health insurance companies upped their premiums if one was a smoker/old/ill etc. One price for all adults. 

I suppose the best way to ring them and get their details and then compare yourself.  Maybe they might have their own comparison sheet for you.


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## z108 (30 May 2007)

Accidents happen eve if your health is good . You could break your leg or fracture your nose playing sports and need to be seen to (its happened to me). The idea of putting the premiums into a fund isnt too bad.

Maybe you should wait until you have children before getting it as I think kids are covered for free ?
The biggest risk to not getting it is if the flat rate premium is abolished in the meantime but the consequences of that happening are unpredictable and since you are young that may or may not work out in your favor.


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## Violet Rose (30 May 2007)

sign said:


> Maybe you should wait until you have children before getting it as I think kids are covered for free ?


 
Free yes if added as newborn and only free until the renewal date of your policy.


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## terrysgirl33 (30 May 2007)

If you have kids, while you are covered by health insurance, then the kids are covered until your premium renewal date.  Children, unfortunately, are not free.


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## Brendan Burgess (30 May 2007)

There are some downsides to the VHI as well. Apparently, the maternity hospitals will charge you for some services if you have VHI, which they would otherwise provide you with free of charge. However, the VHI doesn't actually cover them. 

Brendan


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## terrysgirl33 (30 May 2007)

What services are those Brendan?  I hadn't heard of that, but it isn't impossible...


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## huskerdu (31 May 2007)

what Brendan is referring to is that as a private patient, you  pay for some services which are available for free to public patients, but your health insurance will not cover.  An example of this is blood tests and scans, but there are others. 

As a private or semi-private maternity patient, VHI/BUPA/VIVAS do not cover the entire cost.  This has been coverd in other posts.


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## Brendan Burgess (5 Jun 2007)

_I asked my friend for more information and this was her reply:_

My point was that private health insurance doesn't always cover items which  are covered by the public system. Hospitals try to channel people into either  private or public. For instance, as a public patient you are entitled to a free  scan if you are pregnant. In my experience, the service wasn't covered by my  private health insurance, so I ended up paying for a scan when I went privately  whereas the scan would have been free to me as a public patient. There are lots  of other examples of this, such as hospitals charging private patients for blood  tests etc if they go privately. I think holders of health insurance need to be  aware of this. Often, it is wise for people to hold private health insurance,  but not necessarily to claim under it on every occasion. But hospitals don't  make this easy. They want you to make a choice between private or public, rather  than encouraging you to use private or public when it suits your interest.   I suspect that's because the hospitals charge the private health insurers more  for certain services than they are permitted to charge the Department of  Health.. I fear the hospitals have an incentive to get people to go private  because they can charge the VHI/BUPA more for the service than the Department of  Health pays. But it would be worth clarifying this point.


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## dee06 (8 Jun 2007)

I am a private VHI patient paying an obstetric consultant privately. I was told to go to the public hospital for a 12 week scan before I met him at 16 weeks for first time. I did not have to pay, did not give hosp VHI number either.


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## huskerdu (11 Jun 2007)

dee06 said:


> I am a private VHI patient paying an obstetric consultant privately. I was told to go to the public hospital for a 12 week scan before I met him at 16 weeks for first time. I did not have to pay, did not give hosp VHI number either.



Hi Dee, 
When did this happen ? You might get a bill in the post yet. Private scans are held in the same clinic in the public hospital. It would be normal for a private patient to have to pay. Either you haven't got the bill yet, or you got away with it.....


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## wrappo (12 Jun 2007)

I had a baby last year,  like Dee06 was a private patient and didn't have to pay for any scans ( had two "big" scans in addition to the regular ones with my consultant)


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## amgd28 (12 Jun 2007)

Just to let people know an oft-overlooked fact:
In any given hospital, the VHI in general cover less beds than Bupa or VIVAS.  
For example, there may be 10 beds/rooms in a private ward, and while VIVAS and BUPA will cover all ten, the VHI may only cover 7. Thus if one of the non-VHI beds is free, the VHI patient is not entitled to be put into it, even if they are currently in a public bed and are looking for a private room. A BUPA or VIVAS patient in the same position would be entitled to be transferred into the said bed. 
I know this sounds complicated, but the upshot is that contrary to popular opinion, you are more likely to get a private bed if you are with BUPA or VIVAS.....


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## ClubMan (12 Jun 2007)

Private accommodation with any health insurer is *always *subject to availability and there are no guarantees that you will get private or semi-private accommodation just because you are insured.


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## Violet Rose (12 Jun 2007)

When I had my 2nd son, I went public like I did with my first,  I have health insurance but didnt see the point of using it for my maternity as all maternity is free, my gp was free, I was offerend epidural like a private patient and after having my son, I was put into a private ward as all the public was full.  2 nights private accommodation on the public system.  I dont think that really happens too often though!!!


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## dewdrop (12 Jun 2007)

even young healthy people can suddenly become ill and lmaybe need services of a consultant...what about lthe waiting time if you are relying on the public service


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## ClubMan (12 Jun 2007)

It's all a matter of risk assessment and peace of mind. Some (usually younger) healthy people with no major risk factors (e.g. risky lifestyle habits or family history of specific illnesses) might well decide that it's not worth their while taking out private health insurance (at least until they are older). Some may self insure by saving/investing the money that might otherwise go on insurance premiums towards funding medical expenses should the need to go semi/private arise. Some may be content to rely on the public health service. Others will decide that they do need/want it and the peace of mind that it brings. Horses for courses and it's hard to generalise since what's best for a particular individual really depends on their specific circumstances.


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## amgd28 (12 Jun 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Private accommodation with any health insurer is *always *subject to availability and there are no guarantees that you will get private or semi-private accommodation just because you are insured.



Yes but my point is that if you are non-VHI insured, you have almost a 40% greater chance of a bed being available


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## dee06 (13 Jun 2007)

huskerdu said:


> Hi Dee,
> When did this happen ? You might get a bill in the post yet. Private scans are held in the same clinic in the public hospital. It would be normal for a private patient to have to pay. Either you haven't got the bill yet, or you got away with it.....


 

Honestly they didn't even ask me for any info. I just made an appointment by phone, turned up at the time, did the scan and walked away with the report. She didn't even save my name or address on the report as she has tech problems. She said it didn't matter.


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## dee06 (13 Jun 2007)

huskerdu said:


> Hi Dee,
> When did this happen ? You might get a bill in the post yet. Private scans are held in the same clinic in the public hospital. It would be normal for a private patient to have to pay. Either you haven't got the bill yet, or you got away with it.....


 

Nah. I was told my the obs secretary it was free. All maternal and prenatal care is free  in the public system anyway, thanks to Noel Browne.

On a side note, my daughter got diagnosed with diabetes last August and all care, initial hospital stay, consultant visits, equipment and medicine have been free, regardless of the fact that we have VHI cover. I must say I am impressed with the care she gets under the public system.


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## woods (13 Jun 2007)

I am with VHI and was hospatilised in the U.S recently.
I handed in my card in the emergency room and was not even asked to sign anything. Everything and all scans were free. 
I think that is a ridiculous situation that it pays to be out of the country when you get sick.


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## ClubMan (13 Jun 2007)

woods said:


> I think that is a ridiculous situation that it pays to be out of the country when you get sick.


What do you mean? Wouldn't the same things have been covered at home?


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## rochs (2 Feb 2008)

Sorry i do not agree with Brendan re no need to take out cover because T.G. you are young and Healthy and only contributing to cover for the elderly Etc.
A long number of years ago when i first got married and money was tight and my wife and I were young and healthy we were reluctant to join VHI, an elderly man encouraged us to join and his philosophy was it's a good year when you don't need cover and it's very good to have it when you do and who knows from year to year. 
Insurance is peace of mind why do you insure your Life Your home, why do you insure your valuables.
In my own case i did not have any reason to claim for many years but i have recouped many times more than i payed into VHI in recent times.

rochs


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## BlackForest (28 Sep 2009)

Thanks everyone. I think I'll just go down to the next level of cover so I can skip waiting lists but go public for maternity.  
Don't like the system the way it is, but if you can't beat it, all you can do is join it!


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## reenbee (17 Oct 2009)

My consulant calls me for  a  colonospcy every 3 years due to a previous problem My gp now wants me to go for one due to unexplaned pain  as my next due date is July 2010 will I be charged for this


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## NovaFlare77 (17 Oct 2009)

reenbee said:


> My consulant calls me for a colonospcy every 3 years due to a previous problem My gp now wants me to go for one due to unexplaned pain as my next due date is July 2010 will I be charged for this


 
Reenbee, I'd recommend you contact your health insurer to confirm this, as it depends on the level of cover you have, where you're going for the scope and how long you've been covered by them.


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## reenbee (18 Oct 2009)

I am in plan B with options and am covered for 40 years


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