Health Insurance VHI health Plus Extra.

[speedbird1]

Is that time of year again when I start looking at the HIA website as we are being told that these old VHI plans are bad value. After hours of comparing I am more confused then ever. The last two years I phoned the VHI and was talked into maintaining our current plan, Health Plus Extra.
Our situation, couple of seniors 75 and 72. We both have medical Cards. I am 5 years post Brachytherapy for early prostrate problem and currently in very good health. My spouse has last year been diagnosed with carcinoma polyps of the bladder and has had them removed but it appears there will have to be ongoing requirement for cystoscopy investigations, possibly every three months as there is a likelihood of recurrence.
Our main hospitals would be The Bonsecours and The Clinic both in Galway.
My question is there an equivalent or better plan that covers out situation. ?
We would like to maintain our current or better level of cover because of our advancing years.
Thank you in advance for any recommendations.

 

[snowyb]

speedbird1,

An identical alternative plan with VHI is called 'Healthplus Access' (old Plan B) price from 1st November 2016 is 2045 per person.
Hospital cover is the same as Health Plus Extra, so straight savings of 900 euro overall.

[broken link removed]



If you don't mind switching to another provider, Laya Healthcare have a very good option worth considering as follows;
Laya Simplicity plan; price 1087 per adult. There is extra hospital cover including cover for a private room in a private hospital on this plan.
This would be useful as the 2 hospitals you both attend come under this heading. There is also good day to day benefits with this plan,
50% refund for consultant visits, physiotherapy, gp, etc. There is no waiting time applied for this extra day to day cover with Laya, regardless
of your age.
There is an excess payable only on admission for a stay in a private hospital - 100 x 2 max per year.
Day case excess is 50 euro per visit, note this excess would be payable for each cystoscopy. 4 x 50 = 200.
This would still be cost effective because of the overall savings achievable with this plan, 2600 per year.

[broken link removed]

Regards, Snowyb

 

[speedbird1]

speedbird1,

An identical alternative plan with VHI is called 'Healthplus Access' (old Plan B) price from 1st November 2016 is 2045 per person.
Hospital cover is the same as Health Plus Extra, so straight savings of 900 euro overall.

[broken link removed]



If you don't mind switching to another provider, Laya Healthcare have a very good option worth considering as follows;
Laya Simplicity plan; price 1087 per adult. There is extra hospital cover including cover for a private room in a private hospital on this plan.
This would be useful as the 2 hospitals you both attend come under this heading. There is also good day to day benefits with this plan,
50% refund for consultant visits, physiotherapy, gp, etc. There is no waiting time applied for this extra day to day cover with Laya, regardless
of your age.
There is an excess payable only on admission for a stay in a private hospital - 100 x 2 max per year.
Day case excess is 50 euro per visit, note this excess would be payable for each cystoscopy. 4 x 50 = 200.
This would still be cost effective because of the overall savings achievable with this plan, 2600 per year.

[broken link removed]

Regards, Snowyb

Thank you so much for your reply and very relevant information.
I have started looking at the options in good time this year as my renewal date is the end of December.
Your quoted options are very interesting and I will compare them on HIA WWW.
In our circumstances we do not want to reduce our cover significantly due to my wife's possible on going treatment.
Thank you

 

[snowyb]

Just to clarify, the two plans, VHI Healthplus Access and Laya Simplicity plan both have equivalent cover to Healthplus Extra plan.
So, although they are cheaper in price, by choosing either plan it does not mean reducing hospital cover.
In fact, with Laya Simplicity plan it has the extra hospital cover included of a private room in a private hospital fully covered, which is not
covered on HealthPlus Extra plan.

Snowyb