# Moved to UK - keep up Irish health insurance?



## polar (1 Oct 2010)

My husband, baby and I are currently covered by my employer's health insurance scheme in Ireland. I am nearing the end of my maternity leave and will soon be resigning my job - we have already moved to England, as my husband cannot find work in Ireland, but has no problem getting work here. I do not expect to return to working for the next couple of years. 

Private health insurance is not a standard perk with work in England and we are covered by the NHS, but we hope to return to Ireland within 3-5 years. If we have not had continuous health insurance in Ireland before we return, then I believe we would have to serve waiting periods before being entitled to much under a new policy.

Baby and I are generally hale so far, but my husband has a couple of chronic illnesses and a history of occasional serious health scares. We would not qualify for a medical card.

Should we continue health insurance in Ireland after I leave my job? I've been wondering if we should take out a policy at my parents' address, perhaps at a low level of cover, just to keep up the cover for our visits home and to ensure full, immediate cover on our permanent return to Ireland.

Opinions, please?


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## MrEBear (1 Oct 2010)

Hi polar, you don't say which provider you're with but from what you have said they only seem to provide cover in Ireland. If this is the case lying to your insurer would not be advised. Most companies that only provide cover in Ireland do so on the basis that you are living here at least 6 months of the year, while your address would have no financial effect on your cover supplying a false address could void your cover and if it were discovered by your provider they can cancel the policy back to renewal. What I would sujest instead is to shop around for one who will cover you in the uk and take the lowest level of cover from them, that way all is above board and there is no break in cover. 

Hope this helps, Bear


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## polar (9 Nov 2010)

Thanks, Bear. I hadn't actually thought of it as lying to my insurer, but of course, it would be, so that would indeed not be advisable.

For anyone else who might find themselves in this situation, here's what I learned from the Irish insurers.
*
For all providers:*

- To claim against health insurance in Ireland, you must be resident in Ireland for more than 180 days in the year. 
- If you go abroad and do not maintain health insurance anywhere, you must serve waiting periods for all insurers on your return to Ireland.

*Aviva*:

You should not continue an Aviva policy in Ireland unless you are resident for at least 180 days per year.

If you return to Ireland after residing in another country and did take out health insurance in that country, when you take out health insurance in Ireland again, you will still have to serve all waiting periods, but if a claim arose, they would look at the health insurance from that country at point of claim.


*Quinn*:

You may join QUINN-healthcare on their lowest costing scheme and on your return to Ireland, you would not be required to serve waiting periods. You could not, however, make any claims on the policy e.g. during trips home, as you must be resident in Ireland for 6 months of each membership year in order to be covered in Ireland. 

Quinn recognises BUPA UK in England and therefore if you were to join BUPA UK, if you join Quinn on returning to Ireland and within 13 weeks of your BUPA cancellation date, you may be able to avail of continuity of cover - this means any waiting periods you have already served you will not be liable to serve again. Waiting periods would apply to any conditions or benefits excluded on the BUPA UK policy. 


*VHI*:

If you take out a healthcare plan in the UK, upon moving back to Ireland this policy will not be recognised and you cannot use it towards your waiting periods. 

Two other VHI options are

Option 1: 
Global from Vhi Healthcare is International Private Health Insurance for Irish residents who are moving, travelling or studying abroad for more than 6 months. Full details on this policy can be viewed here. 

When you return to Ireland after being insured on Global, your cover can revert back to your existing Irish healthcare plan and you just pick up where you left off. 

Option 2: 
You can maintain a policy while you are away. Upon your return to Ireland, you can pick up where you left off.


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## bluemac (9 Nov 2010)

As i understand it all health insurance really does for you is get you a bed in a hospital in other words jump the queue.  you only pay a max of €500 a year on the public health system in ireland but you may have to wait to be seen. And unlike all the other things you hear since i moved here from the uk our family have had a baby here and a serious operation and a couple of smaller things for the family and the state health care has been great (no its been perfect) its cost me about €500 total over 4 years.. for the full family, before this i was in the UK and had a serious op on the NHS i did wait for 2 years but this has changed a lot and you get seen in 6 months...  Not sure I would ever have private health care... 


When your in the UK the NHS is very good don't bother with health care unless you have the money and want to be seen straight away.


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