# VHI Teachers Plan (as an alternative to VHI B Options)



## treasure

Last year VHI contacted me to suggest I join the new Teachers Plan, which I did and saved €200 compared to the Plan B I was on. The cover is practically the same. I just got my renewal form and was surprised to find that it had not increased - at €695. So if there are any teachers out there, you should check it out.


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## Sunny

Anyone can join it. Despite the title it's not just for teachers. All plans offered by health insurance companies must be available to everyone.


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## pj111

Much better plan than Plan B. Increased cover for cardiac & special procedures in High Tech hospitals. Slight decrease for general procedures in high techs but probably not as important as the former as there still full cover in the Beacon. Increased cover for maternity in private hospitals, your outpatient excess has dropped to less than half what it was and more money back on consultants visits. Your also getting increased overseas cover for A&E.

Everyone can get the policy but not at the rate treasure is getting it though! 

_Patrick_


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## Derry

Thanks to this post I switched today from Plan B options to the teachers plan . I saved over 427 euro ( My self & DH) . before making this switch our premium was E 985.86 x 2 = E1971.12  Now its been reduced to E 1544.00 so it is a very good saving.  My renewal date was 1st January 2011.  But if it had been on the 1st February I am sure it would have been a massive saving altogether.  I was a serving teacher for a few years but I never even knew VHI had this plan !!!  also as my husband & I are over 70 we are very happy with this so once again thanks to Pj111 and Nova Flare for their sound advice to others.  It certainly helped us. God bless you all.


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## pj111

You're more than welcome Derry. 

In fact it looks even better if you consider that the cost of B options will be €1,429.49 in 6 days time! That means your renewal premium would have been €2,858.98!

_Patrick_


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## Kano

The Teachers plan looks like an excellent alternative to Plan B Options.
It looks like the best value for money hospital cover plan .


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## Derry

Thank you so much Patrick . I havent received the literature from VHI yet but I am sure I will soon. The one main worry we had was whether my Husband would have full cover for an angiogram in the Blackrock clinic with the teachers plan.  he had to have one 2 years ago and VHI coverd the cost in full . The VHI man assured me the other day that with the teachers plan he will have the same cover for it as Plan B options.  So thats why i was more than happy to change.  Yes indeed we have had a massive saving with changing plans.  Hope they dont increase the cost of this one too much next year.  But can you or Nova Flare tell me why  the Teachers Plan is so reasonable while they are increasing Plan B options so much??  when they have the same cover more or less?


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## NovaFlare77

Derry said:


> Thank you so much Patrick . I havent received the literature from VHI yet but I am sure I will soon. The one main worry we had was whether my Husband would have full cover for an angiogram in the Blackrock clinic with the teachers plan. he had to have one 2 years ago and VHI coverd the cost in full . The VHI man assured me the other day that with the teachers plan he will have the same cover for it as Plan B options. So thats why i was more than happy to change. Yes indeed we have had a massive saving with changing plans. Hope they dont increase the cost of this one too much next year. But can you or Nova Flare tell me *why the Teachers Plan is so reasonable while they are increasing Plan B options so much?? when they have the same cover more or less*?


 
I'd say it's because as a newer plan, it doesn't have the same claims or age profile as Plan B or B Options. Also, VHI aren't openly marketing it to a general audience, so there'll be comparatively smaller membership as well.

This thread also discusses Plan B's larger price increase in general, might be worth a read.


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## pj111

1234 said:


> Not necessary!
> 
> It would appear that Tressure is getting their policy with a 10% group rate discount which applies to most companies/organisations.




No quite true this is a discount that is available via teacher salary deduction and is not available to non teachers.


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## pj111

No. You won't get that price if you ring up, they won't discount it for group schemes. 10% discount is at the companies discretion as mentioned on previous threads.


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## scuby

pj111 said:


> No quite true this is a discount that is available via teacher salary deduction and is not available to non teachers.



Anyone can take out this plan, you do not have to be a techer. you can pay through direct debit



pj111 said:


> No. You won't get that price if you ring up, they won't discount it for group schemes. 10% discount is at the companies discretion as mentioned on previous threads.




if you join online, or are a member of credit union, or work group scheme, you can get 10% discount


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## pj111

Sunny said:


> Anyone can join it. Despite the title it's not just for teachers. All plans offered by health insurance companies must be available to everyone.


 
Yes scuby, as stated already above sunny. However the price quoted is most likely incusive of the discount. The 10% dicount for credit union members etc is available to everyone, online or otherwise.

Treasure is gettin a 10% discount off a non discounted price. Most likely because she is a teacher paying through a salary deduction scheme. 

_Patrick_


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## NovaFlare77

pj111 said:


> Yes scuby, as stated already above sunny. However the price quoted is most likely incusive of the discount. The 10% dicount for credit union members etc is available to everyone, online or otherwise.
> 
> Treasure is gettin a further 10% discount off the already discounted price. Most likey because she is a teacher paying through a salary deduction scheme. *The €772.22 price already has the initial 10% discount included.*
> 
> _Patrick_


 
Just on that last line (and not specifically directed at you pj); if a price already includes a 10% group scheme discount, it can't include any further discounts. The legislation behind community rating doesn't allow it.

In this case, I think it's more likely that the €772.22 price is the pre-discount price, and that VHI are selective about who gets the discount. A quick google search shows this page on the TUI's website which states:



> Best of all…Teachers’ Plan costs just €695* per year for an adult - student €250*; child €200*
> 
> * These rates are applicable to members who pay by direct debit though a new Vhi Healthcare group scheme called “The Teachers Group Scheme”. If you pay through your salary deduction, the rates are €772.22 adult, €277.78 student, €222.22 child


 
€772.22 is also the adult price on the HIA's website, so the only way to get a discount on this plan is via the Teachers Group Scheme and to pay by direct debit (assuming the TUI's website is up to date). 

This raises an issue for VHI about how they advertise group scheme discounts if it's not clear that the discount isn't applicable to all schemes. However, I haven't seen VHI promitional literature in a good while, so it might already be factored in.


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## pj111

Yes you are right, it is the non discounted price. It works the same way as the Company Plans - everyone is entitled to purchase but you are not entitled to 10% discount despite what the newspapers say or journalists on the radio.


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## Kano

Vhi is reducing orthopaedic and ophthalmic benefits on certain plans for renewals from 1st February 2011. The benefit paid for hospital  charges for participating private hospitals for specified hip, knee and  shoulder joint replacement procedures and specified ophthalmic  procedures is being reduced from 100% of the cost to 80% of the cost.

*Nurses Plan*

No mention of Teachers plan but Nurses and Teachers plan are almost identical so it may be affected.


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## pj111

Makes you wonder why VHI think Teachers are* so special* that they get their orthopaedic surgery fully covered while Nurses don't !


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## Derry

Well I was a teacher once and it could be that they spend a good deal of their time on their feet  !!!! but also as pj111 & Nova Flare pointed out its a relatively new plan and relatively few members


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## pj111

They might spend a lot of time on their feet but they don't get cover for the podiatry and chiropodist vists that the nurses get under their plan !


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## joeclogs

just to clarify the price and eligibility on the teachers plan. I telephoned today and the price is €772. To get the €695 price I would have to prove that I was a teacher. However when I asked could a friendly teacher include me on their policy I was told yes they could include as many people as they wanted on the policy regardless of relationship and they would get the super-discounted rate. Bizarre, stupid and discriminatory.....


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## NovaFlare77

joeclogs said:


> just to clarify the price and eligibility on the teachers plan. I telephoned today and the price is €772. To get the €695 price I would have to prove that I was a teacher. However when *I asked could a friendly teacher include me on their policy I was told yes they could include as many people as they wanted on the policy regardless of relationship and they would get the super-discounted rate*. Bizarre, stupid and discriminatory.....


 
In case anyone is thinking of being added to a teacher friend's policy, something to bear in mind is that the policy holder gets all the policy and claims information. So if someone on a teacher's policy were to make a claim, then the claims information would go to the policy holder.


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## Derry

I finally received my documents from VHI today regarding my switch from Plan B options to Teachers plan for Hubby & I .I am delighted to see the cover is almost identical to Plan B/ B options. The cost was indeed 772 Euros  each which was a massive saving of over 1,000 euro for us. Although I am a former teacher I was not aware Vhi had this plan until recently.  But even I did not get the discounted rate.  But  I am not complaining, as I'm delighted with the amount I have already saved. so thanks to the OP and also to Nova Flare and Pj111 once again for your help & advice.


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## ajapale

Thats good to hear Derry,

You have stated earlier that you are a retired teacher. I assume that your vhi contribution is deducted from your pension cheque, is this true?

aj


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## PaddyBloggit

I enquired about this ...

If I want it deducted from salary I needed to apply by February the 8th last.

If I want to pay the whole amount by cheque/laser I have until March the 8th to apply.


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## NovaFlare77

Paddy, have you checked if you're eligible to join the Teacher's Group Scheme that VHI have set up? If you're a member of that group scheme and you pay by direct debit, you'll get the 10% discount.

There are details of the group scheme on the TUI's website here, but if you were/are a member of one of the other unions it would be worthwhile to check if the same group discount offer applies to them.

In any case, payment by direct debit should be an option for you as well. FYI, the March 8th deadline is because Teachers Plan is due to have a price increase on the 9th March.


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## rustbucket

From what Ive received from My broker, i think the Aviva Teachers plan offers slightly more for slightly less


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## NovaFlare77

I'd question what your broker says in terms of the pricing. According to the HIA website, VHI's Teachers Plan is €772 and Avivia's is €853. See [broken link removed]. What rates did your broker quote?


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## rustbucket

NovaFlare77 said:


> I'd question what your broker says in terms of the pricing. According to the HIA website, VHI's Teachers Plan is €772 and Avivia's is €853. See [broken link removed]. What rates did your broker quote?


 

It was around €660 for the Aviva teachers plan through Cornmarket


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## Derry

Ajapale I was a former teacher but I was a temporary one and in those days temporary teachers did not qualify for a full teachers pension on retirement.  I was also a local government employee for 10 years too. Dont get a pension there either. My husband & I get state Contributory OAP. However I am a member of our local credit union so I joined vhi through their group scheme .  Yes I pay E772 each VHI teachers plan subscription but I dont think I get the discount from vhi though.  But I dont mind as its still half the price of Plan B options!!!  We would not have been able to afford the latest price increase for Plan B options.  it would have placed health insurance out of reach for us.  We pay by direct debit monthly.   it works out at E 29  weekly for both of us which is affordable.

Sorry i dont have euro sign on my key board have only £ signs and dont know how to get euro symbol.  Not very computer literate !!!


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## PaddyBloggit

Derry said:


> Sorry i dont have euro sign on my key board have only £ signs and dont know how to get euro symbol.  Not very computer literate !!!



Hold down 'Alt Gr' and press the number 4.


*Re. Health Ins* .... I'm going to give Cornmarket a ring tomorrow to see what they have to say for themselves (they offer a free comparison of all available schemes for teachers)


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## rustbucket

PaddyBloggit said:


> Hold down 'Alt Gr' and press the number 4.
> 
> 
> *Re. Health Ins* .... I'm going to give Cornmarket a ring tomorrow to see what they have to say for themselves (they offer a free comparison of all available schemes for teachers)


 
Thats what I did today. Aviva Policy is definitely cheaper. VHI policy have also reduced some benefits. They are no longer offering all scans for example


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## pj111

rustbucket said:


> It was around €660 for the Aviva teachers plan through Cornmarket


 
Hi Rustbucket,

Certainly that's a better price and it may have a little additional cover that VHI's plan does not have, but you could argue vice versa also! This is the thing with health insurance plans, it depends what it is you want from it. He could have been quoting Teachers Choice rather than Teachers though.

_Patrick_


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## rustbucket

pj111 said:


> Hi Rustbucket,
> 
> Certainly that's a better price and it may have a little additional cover that VHI's plan does not have, but you could argue vice versa also! This is the thing with health insurance plans, it depends what it is you want from it. He could have been quoting Teachers Choice rather than Teachers though.
> 
> _Patrick_


 
Absolutely agree with you. its all about what you want vs what they offer at the end of the day.


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## Derry

Thanks for that tip Paddy Bloggit atlleast I know how to do the € symbol now.!!! But I studied the Teachers Plan Benefits literature to day. It is very good indeed and will cover my husbands next angiogram in the Blackrock Clinic which is great. We are both relieved about that.  As his last angiogram was €3,000 .  Pretty expensive.


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## pj111

A word of warning: make sure that you make contact with your insurer to check that a procedure or scan is covered the way that you think it and that you are not subject to any waiting periods even if you think you have served all waiting periods. Upgrade waiting periods and outpatient waiting periods could be applied.


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## Derry

Thanks Pj111 will do that again first thing Monday morning. altough I was assured by the VHI agent when I rang to switch plans in february that he would qualify, I will check that out again now that they are not so busy.


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