# Is anyone going to cancel their health insurance?



## MandaC (9 Jan 2011)

Read that the VHI was going up (again) but just copped that I am on Plan B options and am due a 45% increase.

My premium is due to go up significantly and am wondering if I should give it up now.  I don't agree in principal with having to pay for private health insurance but have done it for some kind of peace of mind and because it was the done thing.  

My Dad was ill a couple of years ago and despite no health insurance got the best of care from a lovely team at Tallaght Hospital.  

Am thinking of just giving this up and banking the money or paying it off my mortgage or something - I think my premium will now be at 1,400 per year so it is a significant amount.

Anyone else thinking the same, or should I just look at other providers.


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## scuby (9 Jan 2011)

look at what kind of cover you want.. public or private hospital or some for both. you can change to another vhi plan that will not be as expensive, as others have said on the threads, check the company plans etc


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## ajapale (9 Jan 2011)

Can we keep this thread to specifically discuss the merits of cancelling private health insurance?

There are other threads which discuss alternative plans both within and outside VHI.

aj
moderator


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## pj111 (9 Jan 2011)

Ok Ajapale. Good point! As I understand it, if you cancel your health Insurance, and some time in the future decide that you need it after all or for whatever reason decide to take out health insurance again you will be subject to various waiting periods depending on your age and current state of health. I think this applied if you let your cover lapse for 13 weeks or more. Depending on age and circumstances these waiting periods can be as much as 10 years, and thats more likely to affect the plan B and B options age group. So I'd shop around first.


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## Guest105 (9 Jan 2011)

When (and if) Fine Gael win the next election they will hopefully bring in universal health insurance and that will solve the problem for everyone.


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## onq (9 Jan 2011)

To return to the topic:

I'd say a lot of people who lost work in the past year have already done this and faced with this dearth of policy renewals in a core market sector the VHI has raised its price.

Wider implications:

This is yet another effect of the economic treason being perpetrated by Cowan and Co. - beggar the electorate and deflate the economy in order to reduce costs.
Normally one would expect a contraction in the market to prompt the suppliers to accept a short term *hit* and reduce costs to preserve market share.
That is only one of two options in a Depression - the other is the view that lowering prices won't work and to seek more from existing customers.
This is another example of no regulation in a capitalist system - proving that markets cannot regulate themselves to support the common good.

ONQ.


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## ali (9 Jan 2011)

MandaC said:


> Read that the VHI was going up (again) but just copped that I am on Plan B options and am due a 45% increase.
> 
> My premium is due to go up significantly and am wondering if I should give it up now. I don't agree in principal with having to pay for private health insurance but have done it for some kind of peace of mind and because it was the done thing.
> 
> ...


 
Hi Manda,

I had the opposite experience recently with a family member receiving not great care in Tallaght . The fact that we had decent VHI meant that we could move her and set a different agenda (to an extent). That to me seems to be the benefit of private insurance - basically a choice.

Would love to do without it but I would be very nervous of getting rid of it.

A.


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## browtal (9 Jan 2011)

The VHI have offered persons who are unemployed a very reduced nominal rate to preserve their status, but not insurance as we know it. 
That means that they can renew their Insurance without waiting period for benefit, when their circumstances change.
Browtal


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## pj111 (9 Jan 2011)

browtal said:


> The VHI have offered persons who are unemployed a very reduced nominal rate to preserve their status, but not insurance as we know it.
> That means that they can renew their Insurance without waiting period for benefit, when their circumstances change.
> Browtal



But they are tied to VHI as they will have to reserve waiting periods if they go to switch. So a person who went on Plan P and reverted to Plan B Options after a year out of work could find themselves suddenly having to pay €1,400 as opposed to €800 and €900 odd with Aviva & Quinn for similar cover. So one needs to be careful giving up cover, an alternative could be to reduce cover for a while.

Patrick


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## AgathaC (10 Jan 2011)

Am in same boat MandaC, and really dont know what is the best thing to do. Had read here and elsewhere that being on a corporate plan costs less, so had raised that query with VHI. However, I read today that VHI plan to raise that rate also.


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## allthedoyles (10 Jan 2011)

Is the national treatment purchase fund an alternative ?

http://www.ntpf.ie/home/


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## pj111 (10 Jan 2011)

The corporate plans are not always the most suitable plans for everyone. For example if maternity benefits are important to you and you plan on giving birth in a private hospital (Mount Carmel) your grant in aid tends to be greater on the consumer plans.
Patrick


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## orka (10 Jan 2011)

One fairer market option that may be implemented in the future which may impact on those who cancel is an 'age at entry' community rating. At the moment, someone age 64 with no previous health insurance can freely join any of the health insurers at the same price as someone covered all their life. Given that the young generally subsidise the old, someone joining at an older age hasn't really served their time and contributed at a time when they weren't very expensive to cover - this is an inherent unfairness in a completely community rated system. With age at entry, everyone who joined at eg age 22 would pay the same premium, those who joined at age 45 would all pay the same (higher) premium and those who joined at age 64 would all pay the same (higher again) premium.  Not sure what would be done with those currently in the system who leave and then want back in but worth bearing in mind.  
I think it is very unfair that those older customers who have subsidised others for years are now being driven out of the system just when they might start to see payback.


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## pj111 (10 Jan 2011)

[broken link removed] Have a look here!


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