Going abroad for a year, best way to keep cover and avoid waiting period & exclusions

Hi,
I'm leaving Ireland for a year and was about to cancel VHI when I read that applying for new insurance when I return will mean waiting period and exclusion of an conditions I may develop between now and returning.

I'm not aware of any existing conditions and I've never claimed for anything from VHI. Most of my expenses (GP) don't exceed the annual excess.

The global cover quote for Canada is €2.3k and I have insurance as part of the visa programme. VHI suggested I downgrade my existing policy however when I return and upgrade anything not covered on the lesser policy will be subject to waiting and/or exclusion.

Also if I am out of the country from >6months they wont cover on the existing policy.

Can someone recommend the best thing to do in this situation?
Ideally I come back and resume Plan B without a break. The only way I see to do it is continue paying for Plan B and return every 5.9 months. Far from ideal.

Thanks,
P

If you're looking to keep costs down while you're aborad, then it may be an option to downgrade to the cheapest level of cover and then go back up when you return.

There is an upgrade waiting period of two years which applies as follows:

Treatment you receive in the first two years afer upgrading which is in relation to any condition that was present prior to the upgrade, is covered at the previous level of cover.

However, any conditions that develop after the upgrade are covered at the new level immediately, assuming you've already served all the other waiting periods.

So, if you had to go to hospital within two years of upgrading, AND if the treatment was related to something that developed prior to the upgrade, then you would at least have the lower level of cover. An important cavaet here however, is that determination of when the condition developed is determined on medical advice and it isn't necessarily when you were diagnosed.

Regarding the 6 months rule, that is something in their terms and they are within their rights to exercise it. However, from my experience, the main point of that clause was to prevent people continuously claiming while overseas (i.e. basically living abroad). Ask VHI if they could waive this clause in your case, otherwise you may as well just cancel the policy entirely and look at other insurers when you return.

Another option may be to switch to another health insurer's product for the year and switch back to VHI/upgrade when you come back. Make sure that the plan you choose at least partially covers something currently fully covered by your Plan B. Otherwise, if you were admitted to hospital after you came back and VHI applied the upgrade rule, you might discover that your previous cover was none.

I think both of the other insurers have a similar clause to vhi regarding cover while overseas, but have a look at their terms to see.

Hi guys. Please see extracts below from lifestage choices, rules, terms and conditions in relation to this. I am in similar circumstances. No idea how long I will be away, do not want to have to re-start waiting periods, have had health insurance all my life. With Quinn/ Aviva, think the max stay abroad is less possibly 30 or 60 days.
In relation to the max 180 days, I think its "180 days in calendar year" not "policy year" or "max 180 days away".

However further down it states "Where a member intends to travel abroad for longer than 180 days, Vhi Assist or any other Vhi Healthcare insurance benefit will not be available in respect of medical treatment abroad." This seems to contradict the "180 days in calendar year"

Secondly is it possible to break policy for up to 13 weeks without having any waiting periods.

I have received confirmation from VHI (verbal not written) that the policy would be valid if opened mid January 2010, travel July 2010, renewed policy Jan 2011, travel till late June 2011. ***********Only Verbal confimation**********

Any help would be great, Tom

Policy details extracts
Temporary Stay Abroad :A stay(s) outside of Ireland for any period up to but not exceeding 180 days in each calendar year.

Year: The period of cover shown in your most recent membership details.

If there is a break of more than 13 weeks in a person’s health insurance contract with us or another insurer registered under the Health Insurance
Acts, the application will be treated as a new application for membership.
Treatment outside ireland

a) We will only pay for emergency treatment a member receives outside Ireland if he/she needs such emergency treatment because of an unexpected
illness or accident that arises during a temporary stay abroad. We will pay up to the plan amounts outlined in Section 7 of your Table of Benefits,
per temporary stay abroad inclusive of all professional fees. You may also claim for expenses listed under Section 9 of your Table of Benefits. All
eligible benefits associated with emergency or prior approved treatment abroad will be issued by Vhi Healthcare in euro, with the exchange rate
from the European Central Bank being applied to all charges as at the date of the patient’s admission/treatment, where applicable.
Only members resident in Ireland for at least 180 days each calendar year are eligible for cover outside Ireland and or repatriation in accordance
with Rules 7(a), 7(c) & 7(d). Where a member intends to travel abroad for longer than 180 days, Vhi Assist or any other Vhi Healthcare insurance benefit will not be available in respect of medical treatment abroad.

c) The member must notify Vhi Healthcare immediately of any change to their policy or circumstances which could alter the assumptions on which the
contract is based or which are material to same.
d) If any member makes, or tries to make, a dishonest application or claim we have the right to: (i) refuse to renew his/her membership; or (ii) cancel
his/her membership immediately. We also have the right to refuse to pay any benefits for the member.

afaik, most of the insurance plans cover you for hospitalisation in ireland, with some cover for holidays abroad, like your usual week or 2 away.
if you are going abroad for longer you may have to take that global policy, if you are going for 6 months or longer. if you come home in the mean time you can transfer back to your old policy without waiting periods.
if you leave one insurer and transfer to another, the time you spent with the first will carry with you. But, If you leave an insurer, and leave a gap of 13 weeks or more before joining another, then your waiting periods start again.
As Novaflare said, the 180 day rule is there to stop people living abroad using it to claim.