VHI One Plan 500 Alternatives

[Alkers86]

We both have one plan 500 with VHI and renewal is coming shortly.
Touch wood, we haven't had any medical issues at all and this will be our second renewal of the policy with zero claims.
I attend GP once per annum for a checkup and my partner even less so. We both play sports so phyiso coverage may be useful to us.
We are both 32 so are wondering what the consensus is as to what alternative policies may prove better value or whether private health insurance is even a necessity in our case?

 

[snowyb]

Hi Aikers86,

One reason for having private health insurance, is to cover the nightly cost of 80 euro which is charged to public hospital patients if you don't have
a medical card. This charge is capped at 800 per year - ie 10 nights max @ 80 = 800. It also applies to children.
So, for example, if you are admitted to a public hospital with a sports injury, the 80 per night charge would be covered by your health insurance.

As you are both under 34 years of age, you could cancel your cover until you reach that age when the Lifetime Community Rating will kick in,
The following link explains LCR in full.
https://www.hia.ie/consumer-information/lifetime-community-rating-explained

The options for adding on 'day to day cover' onto One Plan 500 are as follows;
1. VHI Healthsteps Silver @ price 193 per adult. Refund of 25 per physio visit, gp etc.
2. VHI Healthsteps Gold @ price 339 per adult. Refund of 35 per physio visit, etc.
Click on 'outpatient cover' on the following link to see details. I included both options in comparison, as it doesn't allow you to show just one, but Silver option would be more suitable.
https://www.hia.ie/comparison-tool/...vY2siOmZhbHNlLCJwbGFuX2RldGFpbF9pZCI6LTF9fV0=

As an alternative option to the above, VHI have a new basic plan with day to day cover included. Note; there is NO private hospital cover on this plan.
Just public hospitals are fully covered on this plan. It may be an alternative to consider at a cheaper price, for the moment.
If you were to upgrade in the future to a plan including private hospital cover, if you developed any illnesses/health conditions in the meantime there would
be a 2 year waiting applied for the extra private hospital cover but just for the pre-existing illnesses. New illnesses after upgrading would be covered
straight away.

Another option to show you, is a Laya Simply Connect plan that ticks all the boxes in terms of hospital cover across the board, good day to day cover 50% refund on medical expenses. Low inpatient excess on admission, capped at 150 x 2 per year for all private/hi-tech admissions, day case excess 50 per procedure. It shows the difference in price and cover from both ends of the spectrum, interesting comparison for future reference.
Comparison details as follows;
https://www.hia.ie/comparison-tool/...Mb2NrIjpmYWxzZSwicGxhbl9kZXRhaWxfaWQiOi0xfX1d

Regards, Snowyb






No excess applies in any public hospital on any plan.