Why do 48% have VHI or Bupa Insurance?

pod

This is a quote from the VHI website:-

"Currently almost 48% of the Irish population pay for private health insurance as compared to 12% in the risk rated UK market. That means that almost five out of every ten Irish people pay for private health insurance compared to one in ten UK citizens."

Why is this? Is this because private health insurance here is community rated, and so it is simply cheaper than in the UK?

Or is it because the public health system here is inferior to the public system in the UK, and so more people here (than in the UK) want it as extra protection?

Tyrrial

is this on the right forum..?
anyway, i'm on VHI because i don't want to be waiting 3 years for an operation (as happened to a friend of mine). another friend of mine when for the same operation with VHI and i think they had it in 3 or 4 weeks.


oh and the puplic health system is in SHÍT condition:ninja:

KdjaCL

Im on it because its cheaper , i go Dr its €40 with €32 back.
Dentist is about 3 qtrs cheaper same as opticians.

Never needed it for operations but for trivial crap its as good as a medical card but faster

kdjac

mooman_00

My brother works in a hospital in london, and he very generally said to me once when i asked him, that the public health system in britian is shiit.

Kalina

I guess it's the latter, the availablility of public hospital beds is so low and the waiting lists for operations so long (we're talking more than 12 months for some non-emergency operations) that people have no choice but pay VHI or BUPA.
We all read the story about the toddler who dies last week because there were no nurses to assist at an operation which would have saved her life. According to the paper's €1,000 would have funded the op. And also the story about the Monaghan mum who lost her baby because Monaghan maternity ward was closed.
The health care system in Ireland needs a serious overhaul and in the meantime BUPA and VHI are cashing in on people's worries that if they get sick they won't get proper treatment unless they pay for it privately.

Lord Nikon

My employer pays for mine, incase I die or something. Anyway, it's nice to have just incase.

ciano

Originally posted by neuromancer
My employer pays for mine

Same here. But if they didnt, I would defo pay for it myself. It gives you piece of mind, imo.

DaithiSurfer

does anyone know
If i go to the Doctor (even just for a checkup) or the dentist, how much can i claim back off Bupa and how do i do this?

Trojan

Originally posted by DaithiSurfer
does anyone know
If i go to the Doctor (even just for a checkup) or the dentist, how much can i claim back off Bupa and how do i do this?

I think they have one scheme that does straight 50% off all medical-related expenses. It's all on their website anyway.

Al.

ciano

Originally posted by Trojan
I think they have one scheme that does straight 50% off all medical-related expenses. It's all on their website anyway.

Al.

Agree that you should check the website, but I thought you could only claim off VHI if your annual medical expenses were over a certain amount (I dont know what this amount is).

Turner

My dad has been paying VHI for about 30 years (includes cover for 4 kids). We had never used it until I had to go in for an operation a few months back.

I was in hospital for a total of 34 days. VHI paid for everything including consultants fees/surgeons fees/radiology fees and the cost of staying in St Vincents pvt hospital.

Total Cost E18,950. If we didnt have VHI we would have been up the swanney.

You would be surprised how much private treatment costs.

Its handy aswell if you get sick abroad. They will fly you home in a private jet with medical personell etc all free of charge.

Chowmein

Admition to St. Patricks hosptial costs about 2200 euro a week. Considering that most people are there at least a month thats 8800 euro.

VHI will pay for upto six months constant stay in a private hospital (on plan B any way, not sure about others).

Public mental health care is even worse then normal public health care, overworked, underfunded ect. People are often sent home regardless if there ready to or not.

With out VHI\Bupa, and with a family member who has a mental health problem it could become a very serious cash problem, realitvely quickly.

Big Chief

im on bupa. Why? because the work pays for it...

seamus

Originally posted by Chief---
Total Cost E18,950. If we didnt have VHI we would have been up the swanney.

Or you could have gone public and been refused from the Guards and ended up with septicaemia......


#Sinne Fianna Fail.........

TomTom

Originally posted by DaithiSurfer
does anyone know
If i go to the Doctor (even just for a checkup) or the dentist, how much can i claim back off Bupa and how do i do this?

Afaik you collect up all you recepts from the month and if they are over a certain amount bupa will pay.
I'm on bupa and delighted to be so cause I had to go private to get an operation done a few years ago and if it was not for bupa, either a bank loan or a remortgage would have to be looked at. Medical expencises are shocking.

Saruman

Im on it because i get it with the job
Good thing too since i have used it!!

Trojan

Originally posted by ciano
Agree that you should check the website, but I thought you could only claim off VHI if your annual medical expenses were over a certain amount (I dont know what this amount is).

Soz, I meant to mention that's BUPA.

I'm not on VHI anymore cos it costs more.

Reason? Because you have to subsidise older people (I had a discussion with a VHI salesman about this in a pub one night [Yes, I was very, very bored]).

Al.

Lump

To be honest I have health insurance cause me mammy pays for it... however I will keep the payments up when I come out of full time education. VHI is good for many reasons...... If you need an operation (I'm having knee surgery over summer) you tend to get it a hell of a lot faster. My Knee surgery isn't emergancy so if I was on a medical card or whatever I'd have to wait years to get it. Also when I'm on holidays I know if I have an accident I'm not going to be landed with a massive bill etc..... and finally it makes stuff alot cheaper.


I think its good to be covered you don't know whats going to happen to you.



John

Trojan

btw I should mention that I have used it - had a minor op involving 4 or 5 days in hosp afterwards (time of BB1 last year). I got a receipt for payment of about EUR1.5K and didn't pay a penny for anything except my original consultation. Pretty good. It's not like car insurance with their no-claims bonuses either

Al.

MazyMo

"Afaik you collect up all you recepts from the month and if they are over a certain amount bupa will pay."

That's true, they will pay when your receipts are over a certain amount, though even then they pay a certain percentage - not the full amount.

afaik - that is...

byte

Handy to see this thread started, as it's something I've been thinking of recently. Which would be better, Bupa or VHI?

Silent Bob

Well the options are:
1) public treatment
2) private treatment

Private treatment works (treated quickly etc.) but is expensive, hence the insurance.

What always amazes me is when politicians get talking about the "two-tier" health system they talk about getting rid of private healthcare. Private treatment is the tier that works, encourage more people who can afford to pay for VHI etc. to go private and waiting lists for public treatment would surely be reduced.

Stupid government.

MazyMo

I'm not sure if the public waiting lists would necessarily be reduced, as the doctors/consultants seeing the private patients are often the same doctors/consultants seeing the public patients.

The reason the waiting lists are so long is simply because there are not enough nurses / doctors / and other medical staff.