>>Is VHI good value?

Interesting proposal, but . . .

Yeah - that's why I EXPLICITLY mentioned privately insured patients potentially skipping waiting lists... :rolleyes My point was that many people mistakenly assume that private health insurance necessarily buys better medical care and treatment. This is a fallacy. It may buy better accommodation and the ability to skip the queue but everybody is treated the same once inside.
 
VHI no more!!

Following another announced increase in VHI membership fees (4% this time) and, having listened to the arrogance of VHI's Chief Exec. on the radio this morning, I have just initiated a transfer from VHI to BUPA and have saved €224 per year with equivalent cover.

Wasn't it the wife of a former US Ambassador to Ireland who was asked on leaving of her impression of Ireland and replied that it is a beautiful country but Irish people lack a sense of outrage.

Well, this country has just got too expensive to accept the mediocrity that is doled out by the likes of the VHI head bean-counter so I am expressing my outrage and moving to the competition.
 
as evidenced by their fuzzy\misleading radio adverts.

geoffreyod,

as evidenced by their fuzzy\misleading radio adverts.
Click to expand...

I agree with your objection to BUPA's fuzzy\dissembling radio adverts. To be specific ... they state "we are rated highly by the community". This is a deliberate and misleading play on the words "community rating".

Having said that, I'm saving myself over €350 a year since I moved to BUPA and their back office administration is much better. I miss the VHI nurse on call service and the front line call centre people in Kilkenny (always very pleasant and curteous).

ajapale
 
BUPA or VHI: which plan?

After glancing at their brochures and website, I find it difficult to figure out which plan - by either VHI or BUPA - would best suit the following circumstances: female, single, upper 30's, no children or dependents, average income, fairly healthy, no known existing medical conditions, non smoker, non drinker, 10,000 miles per annum driver.

Being fortunate not to have had personal experience of illness, hospitals and medical costs, it is difficult to calculate which cover would be prudent.

Any advice out there?
 
as evidenced by their fuzzy\misleading radio adverts.

The comparison report mentioned in this topic might be of some help when trying to decide which insurer and product to go with:
 
Marian Finucan in and interview with the VHI boss mentioned that there were some who believed that health insurance for young healthy individuals in Ireland was a waste of money. This thread dates from 2001. Has anything changed since the early 2000's to change posters minds?
 
When I joined VHI in my own right in 1997 they were much more lax about waiting periods/gap in cover than they are now. Now I notice that unless you join via a corporate deal you have to wait up to 5 years to get treatment for existing complaints unless you were insured by somebody else for those 5 years.

I would guess that the real thing that will cripple VHI and the other insureres is people wising up to the fact that they get nothing for years but then suddenly it will start paying for itself once they do start to have health problems - so many people I know put off joining at all until their 40s or 50s.

Now I reckon the insurers are going to get tough on this, and start introducing waiting periods for new illnesses for new joiners, which will stop this.

While it might seem very tempting to not pay health insurance, the cost of medical inflation is so high that its going to be very expensive indeed in 10 or 15 years - and who knows what the government are going to do to save money? So I would choose to stay with the insurer, though if I didn't get some or all paid by an employer I have to admit I'd be on the cheapest hospital plan.
 
Re: Interesting proposal, but . . .

Yeah - that's why I EXPLICITLY mentioned privately insured patients potentially skipping waiting lists... :rolleyes My point was that many people mistakenly assume that private health insurance necessarily buys better medical care and treatment. This is a fallacy. It may buy better accommodation and the ability to skip the queue but everybody is treated the same once inside.
Click to expand...

thats just the point!
skipping the queue is absolutely crucial
no point getting the same treatment if you can.t get into hospital in the first place
i believe its a good idea to get on a plan _even the cheapest _definetly by 40 so you will in 5 yrs be eligible for all illnesses <talking about the 5 years you have to be insured before eligible....
you can always upgrade your plan later
we seem to be moving towards an american style health service
public health services seem really stretched _trolleys etc
the gov is loaded all the tds talk the talk, and yet we have such problems with waiting lists ,beds etc
is the health service deliberately being run down or is it something else.
anyway its great selling pt for the health insurers
 
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