Health Insurance Comparison of all VHI plans in a spreadsheet

Ciarraíoch

Registered User
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That sounds excellent - how comprehensive is it - might it be possibe to paste it into a post on this website? I'm pretty sure that would be permitted.
It's fairly lengthy alright although I didn't cover any of the maternity/fertility benefits. I've pasted in the plans which are cheaper than your own. These ones have a fair few T&Cs and are picky on their hospitals compared to the more expensive plans so might be lacking in detail as I wasn't as thorough regarding these. I pulled this info from their respective Table of Benefits files I found googling the plan names.

The formatting makes it a hard read too so might not be as much help. I'll paste the whole sheet into a separate Thread if it lets me. Again, it is much easier to navigate in the Excel file itself but shur. You may get better options away from VHI, I wouldn't know

One Plan 500Company Plan Starter1stCare EXT 500 D-t-DSmart Plan 500PublicPlus Care Day-t-DayPublicPlus Care
Price
Monthly€ 65.04€ 64.18€ 64.00€ 61.32€ 43.30€ 40.76
Year€ 780.51€ 770.11€ 768.00€ 735.84€ 519.60€ 489.12
Cover
Hospital Charges
Public 1 & 2 hospitals
Day, Side, Semi-PrivateFullFullFullFullFullFull
PrivateSemi-Private RateSemi-Private Rate
Private 1, 2 & 3 hospitalsHosp 1 & 2
Day, Side, SemiFullFullFullFull
Private 1Semi-Priv RateSemi-Priv RateSemi-Priv RateSemi-Priv Rate
Private 2 & 3Semi-Priv RateSemi-Priv RateSemi-Priv RateSemi-Priv Rate
RadiotherapyFullFullFullFull
Hospital Excess
Day & Side€150/claim€250/claim€250/claim€150
IN-patient€500/claim€500/claim€500/claim€500
Private 4 hospitalsPartial Cover Hosp
Day & Side0%H3 - 75% H4 - 0%75%0%
Semi-Private0%H3 - 75% H4 - 0%75%0%
Private0%H3 - 75% H4 - 0%75% Semi-Priv Rate0%
Radiotherapy0%H3 - 75% H4 - 0%75%0%
Hospital Excessas aboveabove
Private 3 & 4 hospitals - FFPs
Day care Cardiac FPPs L1Full Beacon onlyH3 - 75% H4 - 0%Full Beacon only
In-patient Cardiac FPPs L1Full Beacon onlyH3 - 75% H4 - 0%Full Beacon only
Day care non-cardiac FPPs L1 (not Chemo/Radio)0%H3 - 75% H4 - 0%0%
In-patient non-cardiac FPPs L1 (not Chemo/Radio)0%H3 - 75% H4 - 0%0%
In-patient cardiac FPPs Level 20%0%0%
Hospital Excessas aboveas aboveas above
Specified Hip, Knee & Shoulder Replacement
Private 1, 2 & 3 hospitals
Day, Side & Semi-Private60%75%60%60%
Private60% Semi-Priv Rate75%60% Semi-Priv Rate60% Semi-Priv Rate
Hospital Excessas above
Private 4Non Plan Hosp
Day & Side0%0%0%0%
Semi-Priv0%0%0%0%
Private0%0%0%0%
FPPs
Private 3 & 40%0%0%
Consultants' fees/GP procedures
In-patient treatment, day-care/side room/out-patient & GP procedures
Participating Consultant/GPFullFullFullFullFullFull
Non-Participating Consultant/GPStandard BenefitStandard BenefitStandard BenefitStandard BenefitStandard BenefitStandard Benefit
Psychiatric Cover
In-patient psychiatric cover100 days100 days100 days100 days100 days100 days
In-patient for alcoholism, drug or substance abuse91 days/5 years91 days/5 years91 days/5 years91 days/5 years91 days/5 years91 days/5 years
Out-patient mental health therapy
Cancer care and other benefits
Genetic testing for cancer
Initial Test
Genetic test - specified mutations in app clinic
Preventative (Prophylactic) after genetic test
Mammograms in approved mammogram centreFull/2 years
Cancer care support (15 nights)€100/night€100/night€100/night (10 nights)€100/night
Manual lymph drainage
Psycho oncology counselling
Wig/ hairpiece, post-mastectomy bra, swimsuit, surgical prosthesis following cancer treatment
Other benefits in Section 5
Convalescent care€30/night (1st 14 nights)€30/night (1st 14 nights)€40/night (1st 14 nights)€30/night (1st 14 nights)€30/night (1st 14 nights)€30/night (1st 14 nights)
Vhi approved medical and surgical appliances€1000/year (€300 exc)€1000/year (€300 exc)50% up to €1000/year€1000/year (€300 exc)50% up to €1000/year50% up to €1000/year
Vhi Hospital@HomeFullFullFullFullFullFull
Child home nursing
Return Home Benefit
Transport costs
Transport costsAgreed ChargesAgreed ChargesAgreed ChargesAgreed ChargesAgreed ChargesAgreed Charges
Cover outside Ireland
Emergency treatment abroad€65,000€65,000€65,000€65,000€65,000€65,000
Elective treatment abroad
Surgical procedures available in Ireland€65,000€65,000
Treatment not available in Ireland€65,000€65,000
Out-patient scans
MRI scans
Centres where Vhi pay directlyFullFullFullFullFullFull
Pay & claim back centresCovered (€125 excess)Covered (€125 excess)Covered (€125 excess)Covered (€125 excess)Covered (€125 excess)Covered (€125 excess)
PET-CT scansCoveredCoveredCoveredCoveredCoveredCovered
CT scans
Non-oncology direct pay centresFullFullFullFullFullFull
Oncology direct pay centresFullFullFullFullFullFull
Out-patient medical expenses/visit
GP€20 3 visits€20 6 visits€20 3 visits
Consultant€60€60€60€60€60€60
Pathology fee€60€60€60
Radiology fee€60€60€60
Pathology/Radiology or other diagnostic tests50% of agreed charges €850/year50% of agreed charges €850/year50% of agreed charges €850/year
Physiotherapist€20 3 visits€20 6 visits€20 3 visits
Physiotherapist from The Physio CompanyFull
Pre- and post-natal care
Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Physical therapists, Reflexologists€20 3 comb. Visits€20 3 comb. Visits
Chiropodists/Podiatrists, Dieticians, Occupational therapists, Speech therapists, Orthoptists, Clinical Psychology€20 3 comb. Visits€20 6 visits (all)^together
Clinical Psychologist ^^€25 4 visits
psycho oncology counselling
A&E€75 2 visits€50 1 visits
Heart check in a Vhi Medical Centre
Cancer check in a Vhi Medical Centre
Lifestage screen programme in Vhi Medical Centre€110/screen
Dexa scans in an approved dexa scan centre
Female & Male Screening
Hearing
Travel Vaccinations€20/vaccine (3 vaccines)
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Dentist€20 3 visits€20 6 visits€20 3 visits
Emergency Dental Treatment
Prescriptions
Flu Vaccine
Optician
Eye test€30/2 years€30/2 years€30/2 years
Glasses/Lenses75% up to €50/2 years€20/2 years
Practice nurse visit€20 6 visits€20 3 visits
Cardiac Care Programme
Medfit cardiac care programme
Urgent cardiac care benefit
Medfit cardiac rehabilitation programme
Joint Care Programme
Assess mob lvl by The Physio Company/2 years
Joint Care Physiotherapy by Phys Comp
Vhi Online DoctorFull 6 visitsFull 6 visitsFull 6 visitsFull 3 visits
Vhi SwiftCare minor injury clinic
Initial consultationFull (€50 excess)Full (€50 excess)Full (€75 excess)Full (€50 excess)Full (€75 excess) 2 visits
Follow-up treatment after consultation for tests50% of total costs50% of total costs50% of total costs
Vhi SwiftCare appointment services
Consultant consultation50% 3 visits
Dental practitioner
Physiotherapist
Annual excess - per member, per year€250€25€1€250€1 / €100€100
Annual max - per member, per year€1,000€3,200€1,000€1,000€970€850
Sports injury cover
Emergency @ Vhi Swiftcare Clinic for sports injury
Approved treatment @ Sports Surgery Clinic Santry
Surgical procedures
Non-surgical procedures
Fitne ss screening and Personalised Exercise Programme @ Santry
not all hospnot all hospnot all hospnot all hosp
056 444 4444056 444 4444056 444 4444056 444 4444
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi folks,

I've attached the original Excel file below.
I recommend freezing Column A and your Current Plan Column to make comparison as efficient as possible.
 

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  • VHI Plans - 1st Jan 2021.xlsx
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Hi Ciarraíoch

That is a great piece of work. Did you compile it by hand?

Is there any way of finding out the top 20 most popular policies from all insurers and do a comparison of them?

Brendan
 
That is a great piece of work. Did you compile it by hand?
Hi Brendan,

You could say it was half automated I suppose. I downloaded the Table of Benefits PDF for each plan and since they're similar layouts used Excel to pull the data from each into one sheet. Then it was a case of re arranging the odd row to keep it consistent and amalgamating redundant rows until it got to where it is
Is there any way of finding out the top 20 most popular policies from all insurers and do a comparison of them?
Must say I know next to nothing regarding getting this sort of info but I'm sure comparing them across the board would be fairly pain free
 
Why do they have 4 Plans ranging from €735 - to €780 with various minor differences between them?
Indeed why do all the Companies have so many confusing similar plans at every level and why the need for around 300 Plans in total????
 
I cannot access the referenced file: "You do not have permission to view this page or perform this action."
Must be your user permissions on the site?

Why do they have 4 Plans ranging from €735 - to €780 with various minor differences between them?
Indeed why do all the Companies have so many confusing similar plans at every level and why the need for around 300 Plans in total????
My opinion: to confuse anyone who dares try and find a cheaper plan. VHI's own website is brutal to say the least and combined with their nonsensical naming of plans, really just makes it easier for people to stay where they are plan wise and take any price increases rather than risk losing cover by switching.

Can I ask how you managed to get the data down and organised?
Yes of course, I can try anyway.
So I downloaded all the health insurance plans from VHI's downloads page on their site.
Then using Excel, in the Data Tab > Get Data > From File > From Folder and selected the folder.
This pulled the PDF tables into Excel form.
Then played around with the formatting after combining 5 of the plans to get them to display side by side.
Applied that format to all the plans. I did one or two manually as excel didn't like them.
Tidied and combined rows when possible. Then took my prices from VHI and HIA and added them manually.
Then organised them based on price.
I used this as a bit of a project really to learn about Excel's ability to transform and combine data.
 
Must be your user permissions on the site?


My opinion: to confuse anyone who dares try and find a cheaper plan. VHI's own website is brutal to say the least and combined with their nonsensical naming of plans, really just makes it easier for people to stay where they are plan wise and take any price increases rather than risk losing cover by switching.
When I called recently to renew, the lady on the phone had difficulty in explaining the difference between some of the plans.
 
When I called recently to renew, the lady on the phone had difficulty in explaining the difference between some of the plans.
I must say now, my experience two weeks ago was quite the opposite. Gentleman was very detailed and professional and gave me a full rundown of the differences in my plans. Depends on the operator I guess...
 
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