# Which Medical Insurer? 1st time  Single 47 yo in good health non smoker non drinker.



## faolteam (30 Apr 2011)

*Which Medical Insurer?* 
Just thinking about taking out Medical insurance , i have never ever took it out before , i had serious illness cover which personally i think is a joke the amount of money you get would not cover the stay in hospital.

ok im 
Single 47 years of age in good health non smoker non drinker bit over weight 

What insurer or scheme would you think would suit me please also aree all Medical Insurers reconised over the world 

was just wondering if anybody had recommendations and reconised ?


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## pudds (30 Apr 2011)

One bit od advice I would give you is to make sure you take out insurance before your 55 because you could end up waiting 5-7yrs before your fully covered especially for pre existing conditions.

The whole health system in this country is in a right mess, so who to choose, god knows.


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## horusd (30 Apr 2011)

The independent agency HIA offer a comparison and price search engine online. Check this out. If you have add'l queries, post them after you've run the search. 

http://www.hia.ie/ci/health-insurance-comparison

OP I'm not sure what you mean by "reconised"? I assume you mean "recognised", but the context is still unclear? Do you mean health cover when abroad or if the providers are internationally known, or something else?


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## faolteam (1 May 2011)

*i meant*

health cover when abroad i know vhi is but not sure 

what about this credit union company :

 [broken link removed]


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## faolteam (1 May 2011)

*i was thinking about this one ?*

*Do you have to be in a Company for this ?*

*Company Care Choice* from Quinn Healthcare


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## horusd (1 May 2011)

faolteam said:


> *Do you have to be in a Company for this ?*
> 
> *Company Care Choice* from Quinn Healthcare


 

No. All options are open to everyone. I know, it seems odd, but that's how it works.


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## faolteam (1 May 2011)

*i meant*

*i meant* 
health cover when abroad i know vhi is but not sure 

what about this credit union company :

[broken link removed] 
​


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## horusd (1 May 2011)

faolteam said:


> *i meant*
> health cover when abroad i know vhi is but not sure
> 
> what about this credit union company :
> ...


 
OP your post is unclear. What are you looking for precisely? The CU offer is a HSF scheme. It's not the same as standard health insurance, it provides defined benefits in some instances, as you will see from the leaflet.  Are you looking for full medical cover when abroad or health insurance  cover generally? If you only need it whilst on holiday, buy travel insurance.


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## faolteam (2 May 2011)

*sorry*

im looking for general health  insurance, but totally confused of which to pick

what i meant by abroad was, are all the  irish medical insurers reconised in europe


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## horusd (2 May 2011)

If you want medical insurance then the HIA site above will help you choose one from a range of different options. The area is complex, so it really is a question of looking through all the options and deciding what cover you require, and what you are willing to pay for it. Your status as a non smoker/drinker are irrelevant for medical cover. But there are restrictions on pre existing illnesses, so read terms carfefully. 

Irish medical insurers are a mix of local companies like VHI/Quinn and international companies like Aviva. Why are you asking about this? Knowing this might help answering a specific question you have about being recognised in Europe. Ireland is of course part of Europe, so the reason you are asking this is unclear. You need to be more specific.


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## Complainer (2 May 2011)

I think the OP is looking for travel insurance.


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## faolteam (2 May 2011)

*no im not looking for Travel Insurance*

I was just wondering if i had to go to a hospital if i was in Spain my Medical Insurance  would cover me


i might go for this *Company Care Choice* from Quinn Healthcare : What do you think?

Also Can you explain to me what this is im just not understanding it [broken link removed] 
please : 

The CU offer is a HSF scheme. It's not the same as standard health insurance, it provides defined benefits in some instances,


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## horusd (3 May 2011)

I'm with Quinn on a similar plan. Very happy with it, you will have cover if needed abroad, but do read terms and conditions carefully so that you understand any restrictions. You can use the HIA website to show comparisons and summary of cover between various plans. 

The HSF ( hospital Saturday fund - this is just the company name) offers defined benefits for various medical visits or procedures etc, the main difference is that it doesn't cover the likes of inpatient costs etc. It just gives you set benefits should these events arise. Again, the HIA website gives information on HSF benefits.


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## faolteam (3 May 2011)

im still confused can anybody reommend one for me that will give me private in a public and semi in a private and were i wont have to pay anything bar the renewal


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## mammyof2 (4 May 2011)

faolteam said:


> I was just wondering if i had to go to a hospital if i was in Spain my Medical Insurance would cover me
> 
> 
> i might go for this *Company Care Choice* from Quinn Healthcare : What do you think?
> ...


 
In terms of your question re health cover abroad, your regular private health insurance policy in Ireland does not cover you for private health care outside Ireland. You should either go for a health policy that includes a global element to it or buy travel insurance seperately, whichever is cheaper (I suspect the former will be much cheaper, we recently bought annual cover for a family of four for just over 100E). When travelling in Europe, you should also bring your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) which you can apply for free of charge from your local HSE office. That will entitle you to avail of the public healthcare system in any EU country


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## faolteam (5 May 2011)

im still confused can anybody reommend one for me that will give me private in a public and semi in a private and were i wont have to pay anything bar the renewal


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## horusd (5 May 2011)

faolteam said:


> im still confused can anybody reommend one for me *that will give me private in a public and semi in a private and were i wont have to pay anything bar the renewal*


 
Faolteam I dont want to be rude about this, but you have been given all the information you need a number of times. All this is available at the click of a button at the www hia.ie website. You can specify the cover you require and be given a quote based on this. It really couldn't be easier, but it does entail you reading the information provided by the HIA which is both comprehensive and clear. So I suggest that you list the things you want covered by medical insurance, specify all this for your quote, and take the time to read what the hia is telling you. 

If you have add'l questions over and above this which aren't already clearly given by the hia, then ask them here or contact the particular company concerned and ask them. Nobody here is able or will want to do this for you. *You must do this for yourself*.


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## faolteam (5 May 2011)

sorry i have dyslexia which also mean i find it hard to take it in so maybe you can explain this for me in simple terms thanks :

Plans with an in-patient excess will often result in a lower premium plan than those plans without an in-patient excess.




Do you want to see plans with a low out-patient excess or a high out-patient excess 
This is the amount you must pay before you can claim anything. See FAQs for important information on how to calculate excesses.


? High > €125  Low > €0 - €25  All Excesses  

Selecting 'Yes' will show you plans with and excess of €150 or higher. Selecting 'No' will show you plans with a €0 - €25 excess.


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## horusd (6 May 2011)

faolteam said:


> sorry *i have dyslexia* which also mean i find it hard to take it in so maybe you can explain this for me in simple terms thanks :
> 
> *Okay OP, this makes the reason for your questions easier to understand.*
> 
> ...


 

Given your dyslexia, it might be worthwhile ringing the hia, explaining you're dyslexic and asking them specific questions you have. I'm sure they would be helpful in the circumstances.


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## faolteam (6 May 2011)

Thanks Horus sorry for been a nuisance

just want to ask you i only ever go to my gp once a year so what do you think about this one : Do you want to see plans with or without cover for everyday medical expenses, such as visiting your GP or alternative practitioner?


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## NovaFlare77 (6 May 2011)

That really is a question only you can answer, as it's your policy at the end of the day, so it needs to be a policy you're happy with.

That said, if the price of plans with every medical cover is around the same as plans without, and you're happy with the price and the other benefits offered, then I don't think it's any harm to include the cover.

At this stage though, if you're finding all the different options confusing (and you're probably not the first person to think so!), it's no harm to just focus on getting good hospital cover in place first. You can add the everyday cover later on, either as a separate add on, or by moving to a plan that offers this cover. There are currently no waiting periods for this cover for people under 55, so you don't have to sort that one out right now.


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## pj111 (7 May 2011)

NovaFlare77 said:


> There are currently no waiting periods for this cover for people under 55, so you don't have to sort that one out right now.


 

Under 50 for VHI Healthsteps Silver & Gold not 55. 

26 weeks waiting period for those from 50-54.


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## horusd (7 May 2011)

faolteam said:


> ...just want to ask you i only ever go to my gp once a year so what do you think about this one : *Do you want to see plans with or without cover for everyday medical expenses, such as visiting your GP or alternative practitioner*?


 


If you don't feel the need for the cover, then there is little point in paying for it. But as Novaflare said, do a quote with both options, if there's little in the price difference,take the one with the cover. So for example, if the difference in price is 200.00 per year, and the cost of 1 trip to the GP is €50.00, you are paying for cover you don't need. It would be cheaper to get inpatient cover only, and not bother with the extra's. From your earlier posts it  sounds like this is what you were looking for anyway.


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