# Is private health insurance worth it?



## BlackForest (25 Sep 2009)

I am currently paying €44 a month for Hibernian's I Plan, Level 1. I had been on the Me Plan, which was a bit cheaper, until someone scared me into thinking I'd be better off on the higher plan - since I may get pregnant in the coming years, I'd apparently be better off on this plan, as it had better maternity benefits. Now, as I try to shave down my expenditure, I'm considering cancelling the policy. 

So, to come to my question, is 'going private' i.e. by claiming through my health insurance, for having a baby really much better than what would be available to me publicly anyway? I've found it difficult to find out what I'm entitled to publicly. The way the maternity benefits of my policy are described (see below) seems a bit misleading. Surely the highlighted part below is available to me FREE (well, I pay taxes...) as a public patient anyway? 

_Our '*i plan*' Level 1 offers a comprehensive range of maternity benefits, giving you great peace-of-mind including the following excellent benefits:
_

_You will be fully covered for 3 days in a public hospital or should you wish, you have the option of going to a private hospital where you will receive an allowance of €2,450 _
_Hibernian Aviva Health will also pay up to €859 for consultants' fees while you are in hospital. This includes consultant delivery fee, anaesthetist's fee for epidural, in patient pathologist fees and paediatric consultation for a normal delivery _
_Alternatively, if you choose to have a home birth we'll cover medical expenses up to €2,450 _
_(Source: __http://www.hibernianavivahealth.ie/individual-family/we-i-and-me-plans/i-plan/level-1/__ 25.09.09)_

Also, I heard from a friend that private obstetricians are pretty darn hard to get anyway. So again, sounds like you'd be better off in the public system. 

I know I should take into consideration that if I fell otherwise ill, that private health insurance would mean I could get appointments with private consultants and not have to wait on a public waiting list. But I'm pretty healthy so it's really the maternity situation that I'd want to get right - and even that's only a _potential _situation  

Thanks in advance for any information you can share with me.


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## LDFerguson (25 Sep 2009)

Brendan Burgess, founder of this site, has expressed a view here before that Health Insurance may not be worth it for young healthy people.  It's been debated.  

See http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=430523 and if you do a search for Health Insurance Brendan on this site you'll find other debates.


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## Brighid (25 Sep 2009)

Black, I have been a midwife for many years in a leading maternity hospital and I just want to say that private insurance is not required to have a healthy and normal confinement and a healthy baby. In my view the best route to take if you are living in Dublin is to attend the midwifes clinic. No waiting time, you will be seen promptly and given the best of care. If the midwife perceives a problem she will get a consultant to see you ( no wait) you will be followed up postnatally and hey if you wish to go to a hotel for a few days your midwife will be there! There is always consultant back up available in the event of any problem. Such a waste of money going to a consultant and no, you rarely will get a private room if that is your reason for going privately. Essentially, it is up to the individual as to the route to take but my opinion is that alot of this is 'keeping up with the jones's.


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## dishwasher (25 Sep 2009)

If you want to go fully private there is no health insurance policy that will cover the 4k (dublin) private consultants fee. 
If you go semi-private you have to pay a few hundred to the hospital but the health insurance will cover you for a semi private room (if one is available)
The midwives clinics are public and have a great reputation but you have to live in certain areas of Dublin to qualify (at least this was the case 2 years ago)

My advice would be to decide if you really want to go private / semi private. And if you do keep the health insurance but consider trading down the cover level.  But also think about when you do have the baby will you want the baby covered. Maybe not as pretty much anything that is wrong with your baby / child is likely to be provided by the public children's hospitals BUT once you have a baby, for most people health insurance goes up the list of spending priorities (for emotional if not wholly logical reasons).   And they cover newborns free for the first while.


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## Brighid (25 Sep 2009)

ALL children are covered by public health insurance!


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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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