VHI membership query

Hi,

I am currently on VHI plan B costing €828..I was looking at there First Plan Plus cover and it is €792..The plans look very similar,in fact First Plan has cover for GP visits etc, so I cant see how it is cheaper..

Anyhow if I was to swtich , seeing as I am already a VHI customer would there be any issues,as I have made some claims in the last few years?

Thanks,

F

There shouldn't be any issues switching, but you should be aware that the hopsital cover isn't exactly the same. The main difference is the cover you'd have in the Mater Private Hospital and the Blackrock Clinic. This is what the VHI website says about the two products in this regard:

Plan B
90% cover for certain investigations and treatments in the Blackrock Clinic and the Mater Private Hospital.
Full cover for day care procedures in the Blackrock Clinic and the Mater Private Hospital.

First Plan Plus
50% cover for specified cardiac procedures in the Blackrock Clinic and Mater Private Hospital.

If you're not in the Leinster region, then chances are this coverage isn't that relevant to you. Also the procedures referred to above can be carried out in other hospitals, but the waiting times may or may not be longer.

Finally, the two hospitals are recognised on First Plan Plus for the purposes of out-patient visits to consultants, x-rays, etc.

It might not be any harm to have a look at what other insurers offer in that price range. You can visit the Health Insurance Authority's website at www.hia.ie where they have comparison charts of the main benefits of nearly all the plans out there.

Also, unless it has changed since I studied them you are not covered for as long a stay in the likes of the Stillorgan Hilton.

is private health insurance really essential

I paid 3100 this year for myself/wife + 3 college students(our offspring)
..priced it up and it was the best I could get..direct debit of 258/month

now I am broke and the dd,s are bouncing..