Health Insurance Health insurance for elderly-ish parents

[Isabel S]

Hi,
Could anyone recommend a health insurance policy for my relatively healthy parents in their early 70s? They have no health issues, and have a very basic VHI health insurance for years. I checked it and only cover stays in public hospital. They would like now to upgrade-and preferably stay with VHI-(creatures of habit). Budget is about 1200-1400 pp. Currently they are paying less than 600 euro so its a massive jump for them. Will they have a waiting period to serve?

Thanks very much,
Isabel

 

[Protocol]

Have you read this?

Waiting periods

When you take out health insurance for the first time, or it has been more than 13 weeks since you last held private health insurance, you may have to serve waiting periods before you are fully covered, but accident and injury will be covered immediately.

www.hia.ie

 

[Sue Ellen]

Hi Isabel,

Will they have a waiting period to serve?

Yes. See here.

As premiums have increased 3 times over the past year a premium of €1,400 will only give them standard cover. In a lot of policies with VHI these days, that may provide either 60% or 80% on orthopaedic/ophthalmic cover only. They may be required to meet the difference in the cover if they do need to go into hospital. In the past some of the hospitals did waive the difference but as there may be a big difference these days that may not be the case any longer. You would need to check this out yourself.

A read through the Citizens Information Health Insurance page might give some advice also, along with maybe www.totalhealthcover.ie webpage also.

A listen to the podcasts here might be useful also.

You could have a look at PMI4316 @ €1,455.80 which has the 80% for ortho/ophth and quite good day-to-day expenses cover with a limit of €3,200 per year on that section of the policy. They will have excesses to meet though like most of the policies and you would need to look at closely and familiarise yourself with.

A call to VHI for guidance would be a good idea and probably best if you get clearance to discuss on their behalf as these type of calls can be intimidating if you are not familiar with health insurance

 

[JamesB]

Do health insurers automatically increase premises for those who resch the ripe old age of 65?

 

[irbx]

Do health insurers automatically increase premises for those who resch the ripe old age of 65?

No they can't by law. But do enforce waiting periods of upgrades or changes.

Hi Isabel,


Yes. See here.

As premiums have increased 3 times over the past year a premium of €1,400 will only give them standard cover. In a lot of policies with VHI these days, that may provide either 60% or 80% on orthopaedic/ophthalmic cover only. They may be required to meet the difference in the cover if they do need to go into hospital. In the past some of the hospitals did waive the difference but as there may be a big difference these days that may not be the case any longer. You would need to check this out yourself.

A read through the Citizens Information Health Insurance page might give some advice also, along with maybe www.totalhealthcover.ie webpage also.

A listen to the podcasts here might be useful also.

You could have a look at PMI4316 @ €1,455.80 which has the 80% for ortho/ophth and quite good day-to-day expenses cover with a limit of €3,200 per year on that section of the policy. They will have excesses to meet though like most of the policies and you would need to look at closely and familiarise yourself with.

A call to VHI for guidance would be a good idea and probably best if you get clearance to discuss on their behalf as these type of calls can be intimidating if you are not familiar with health insurance

Just following up on this my dad was the same on public hospital plan 67 years old with laya 5 year wait for upgrade. But my wife works for MNC and we enquired about adding him on her plan also laya. We're advised all waiting periods whould be waved which we did and glad we did as has two surgeries since full covered in bons