# PHI for children



## fraggle (9 Feb 2014)

I have always had PHI but I have been reducing cover recently.

I'm wondering if it worth buying PHI for children?
I live near enough Temple St and would just head there if something happened.

The cost of PHI is about 250-300 per child, I'm wondering am I really getting anything for that?


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## Brendan Burgess (9 Feb 2014)

I was in a discussion of PHI with Dermot Goode of Cornmarket yesterday on Newstalk, and he was asked this question by the presenter. Apparently, there are two plans out there which give either free or cheap cover for children as part of a bigger package. 

Brendan


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## arbitron (9 Feb 2014)

Hi fraggle,

I can't offer advice on specific plans but it will ultimately depend on why you want the insurance.  There are no private paediatric hospitals in Ireland but some private hospitals do provide certain minor procedures for children, e.g. circumcision, tonsils, grommets, etc.  A small number of cardiac procedures are also covered.  So if you would like to have your children covered for common minor surgical procedures then PHI may be of benefit.

PHI for children is not useful for emergency care as no private hospital will admit a child via their A&E or other acute care services - you would be sent to a public paediatric hospital.

Unfortunately I don't know much about private care within public paediatric hospitals, but maybe another poster can contribute.


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## huskerdu (9 Feb 2014)

To add to what arbiton has said. the main reason  why many people have health insurance for children is to be able to skip the queue if you are told that the waiting list for minor important elective surgery is long. 
 I know it stinks. 

 If you are told that your child needs grommet / tonsils  removal etc and the public waiting list is 6 months long, you can go to see the consultant privately. 

 I don't know what the waiting lists are like for paediatric surgery and I have heard anecdotally that some consultants have long waiting lists for private patents also, so its hard to know if it worth it but it is like any insurance, its hedging your bets. 

 You could ask your GP is they are aware of referral times for common childhood conditions in the public system to help you make the decision.


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## fraggle (10 Feb 2014)

I'm going to have to show my ignorance here with these questions....

So if I had a PHI policy for my child, and it was only costing about 200-300/year, then it allows me to 'skip the queue' for non elective surgery.

But what about payment. Is the cost of the surgery covered by the policy?

What if I had no PHI cover, but because of a long waiting list I decided to go privately in that instance. Will I then be paying massive amounts, way beyond the 200-300 cost?


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## Gerry Canning (10 Feb 2014)

fraggle; 
1.Effectively PHI gives you the ability to queue jump for most non emergency procedures.

2. Most (child)policies cover the vast bulk of costs including surgery.

3. If you go privately to jump queue , it will even for simple procedures be a large multiple of 200.

Suggest, Ask phi providers what they cover.


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## arbitron (10 Feb 2014)

Spot on, Gerry.


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## Sophrosyne (10 Feb 2014)

In considering private health insurance for children remember also that in the absence of cover or unless you have a medical card you must pay €75 per day (max €750 per annum) for your child as a public in-patient.


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## huskerdu (10 Feb 2014)

fraggle said:


> I'm going to have to show my ignorance here with these questions....
> 
> So if I had a PHI policy for my child, and it was only costing about 200-300/year, then it allows me to 'skip the queue' for non elective surgery.
> 
> ...




 Yes, the cost of most elective surgery is much, much more than €300, when you include the surgeons fee, aneastitist fee, tests, bed fee.

 if you see a consultant privately , you will have to pay the consultation fee, approx €150 per visit. Some health insurance policies do not cover this at all, some cover 60 per visit only.  You can get tax relief on these costs.


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## michaelm (10 Feb 2014)

fraggle said:


> I'm wondering if it worth buying PHI for children?


I think so, for the various reasons posted in above posts.  Often you can get half-price child policies, sometimes free, and the VHI don't charge for fourth and subsequent children.

My youngest had an eight day stay in hospital recently.  Without insurance we would have been charged €600 for a pokey room with no en-suite and my wife would have had to sleep in a chair.  Fairly basic insurance covered us for all hospital charges, a grand room with a full bed for my wife who stayed with the child for the duration.


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## fraggle (10 Feb 2014)

OK thanks.

I have to renew soon so my next question is, how do I see the differences in what is provided on the child policies?

I am currently due to pay 303 per child but I can see other policies from the same provider at 207 per child. With 2 kids that would be a nice saving.

Apart from that, I am actually going to increase the cover for adults, but go to a 500 excess and then my renewal for this year will only go up about 250 instead of 500.

I think!


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## michaelm (11 Feb 2014)

If my policy was up for renewal now, having had a cursory look, I'd probably put the kids on One Plan Family @ €131 each [broken link removed] . . I'd pick a cheaper plan than One Plan Family for myself.


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