Health Insurance Couple aged 60 returning to Ireland wish to take up Irish Health Ins .

Hi Forum Members,
I have read a few threads here on health insurance, and note some very informed members. Please may I seek their guidance?
We are a couple (no kids) each aged 60. We have been living overseas using Cigna Health Insurance Cover.
We have now repatriated to Ireland, and plan to retire here.
We live near Nenagh.
The Cigna premiums are increasing exponentially, and we wish our premium to go to an Irish based scheme.
We have no serious health conditions. We under take annual Executive Health Screening check ups at the Barringtons in Limerick.
Looking around at our senior family members ... we think we should get heart, joint, and good eye cover.
Shared Private rooms in private hospital sought. Access to best heart care sought.
So far I have completed the VHI online quote process and arrived at Health Plus Extra.
I am about to look into the Laya offerings.
Guidance... warnings .... hints ... best value ?
Would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your time to read this request.
Stay Safe
Jim

The expert on health insurance on AAM hasn't posted here in months. You best bet is to contact Dermot Goode on following link, he charges around €100

Thank you Saavy99. Appreciate the swift guidance and sound suggestion. With premiums in the thousands ... his fee seems reasonable.
Stay Safe.

Have you investigated the comparison tool on the Health Insurance Authority website ([broken link removed] You could use it, for example, to compare the Health Plus Extra plan to any other available plan, whether with VHI or another provider. Or you could use it to search for suitable plans by inputting the criteria that apply to you and your preferences.
Just as an aside, I don't think the Health Plus Extra plan has any excess. You could reduce premiums significantly if you are prepared to accept an excess, eg, Health Plus Access or Health Access, also from VHI.

Thank you Early Riser for the guidance. I will try the comparison tool. On the excess.... we are willing to have some excess. I am sure the tool will allow me make this input. Txs again for the help. Stay safe.

Snowyb is the guru on this and as pointed out hasn't posted in a while, I hope they're okay. They directed me towards Laya Simply Connect, has good cover especially in the Hi-Tech hospitals, a chunky excess but makes up for it with a reduced premium.
Make sure you get the Hi-Tech hospitals and presume access to Galway and Cork ones might be more appropriate than the Dublin ones given your location though it's probably much of a muchness in distance.

Hi Jim,

Welcome to AAM and on your return to Ireland :

Unfortunately it looks as if the Lifetime Community Rating might apply or perhaps you can take out a policy within nine months of returning:

Lifetime community rating
Higher charges apply to people who are 35 years of age or older when they first take out health insurance. There is a 2% loading for each year over 34 years of age. So, for example, if you are 35 the cost is 2% higher than for a person aged 34 but if you are 44 then the cost is 20% higher.

If you previously had health insurance, you can be given credit for the time you were insured, reducing the number of years to which the loading applies.

If you have a break in cover of less than 13 weeks this will not affect your loading.

If you stopped your insurance cover for periods of unemployment since 1 January 2008, up to three years of credits can be provided.

If you live outside Ireland and move to Ireland, a loading will not apply if you get health insurance within nine months and continue to be insured.

For more information, see the HIA website section Lifetime Community Rating Explained.

The OP can take out health insurance within 9 months of his return and not be subject to the community rating charge. However he and his partner will be subjected to a 5 year wait in cover for any preexisting conditions, which is a long wait when you are in your 60s.