Health Insurance

shatter

Hello!
I'm thinking of getting a health insurance in Eire. Any recommendations and suggestions/tips?

Joachim

lomb

vhi, plan A if u are young or dont want to spend alot, otherwise plan B is the norm.

shnaek

I really got to wonder about health insurance. My boss here at work was in A&E a few weeks back. He spent the whole weekend in there, went through 2 tanks of oxygen and an ambulance trip. The cost? €60. He doesn't have health insurance.
My neighbour spent a weekend in hospital after she injured her leg. The cost? Several thousand Euros. She has health insurance, but you still have to pay a certain percentage of the costs. What gives?

Supercell

shnaek wrote:

I really got to wonder about health insurance. My boss here at work was in A&E a few weeks back. He spent the whole weekend in there, went through 2 tanks of oxygen and an ambulance trip. The cost? €60. He doesn't have health insurance.
My neighbour spent a weekend in hospital after she injured her leg. The cost? Several thousand Euros. She has health insurance, but you still have to pay a certain percentage of the costs. What gives?

The boss was an emergency situation, the neighbour probably would still be waiting for someone to see them if they didn't have health insurance...call me an old cynic if you like

shnaek

See this post on AAM also:

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=30031

If you have health insurance you have to cover consultants costs (about 2.5k) as VHI won't cover it. Whereas you see him for free if you go public.

Believe me - I am a cynic when it comes to health here!!!;)

shatter

Excuse my stupid question, but I'm new to the Irish health system, so I know very little. I visited the vhi site but I'm still confused; it seems that I have to insure some risks seperately, like normal doctors visits and hospital care.

Could somebody give me a fools-rush-in into proper insurance?

tx,

Joachim

throwingmuses

check out this webpage:

http://www.hia.ie/pcaci/

I found it a few months ago when I was trying to decide on a health insurance product. The main reason we are finally thinking about health insurance is purely as we are hoping to have kids over the next few years, however after studying the options, prices, and talking to doctors (I work in a clinic), I think it's another rip off. Apparently, 'going private' means nothing in most of the hospitals as they are all overcrowded. I, for one, decided against forking out every month when I saw the premiums. If we do end up having children, though it would be good to be in a comfortable environment, we feel the money we would save being in the public hospitals will compensate for 'going public'. But I suppose mostly health insurance is for the unforseen circumstances. I just feel, in keeping with the rip off Ireland mode, the health insurance companies like to play on our fears. I feel that if something awful happened we would find the money from somewhere (SSIAS for a start) to pay for whatever was needed. Like most people, myself and my other half are stretched enough each month and haven't got spare cash to provide for unforseen circumstances. Of course if something bad were to happen it would have been a wrong decision. I paid health insurance through a job around 8 years ago and didn't continue it when I left. If I HAD continued it I would throwed thousands away all for 'peace of mind' as thankfully I haven't needed it. I'm glad I cancelled it. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will disagree with me but that's how I feel. Anyway the link I've posted makes things clear enough as I found it impossible to try and figure who had the best plan after you saw through the offers etc.

WICKL0W

Vivas is what I have having changed from VHI. (vivashealth.ie).

BAsically there are 3 providers, VHI 80% of market, BUPA & VIVASHEALTH who are both way cheaper.

shnaek

throwingmuses wrote:

I think it's another rip off.

I agree with you. And I think it is a damn shame we don't have the rebelliousness of the French over here, because if we all suddenly refused to pay health insurance we would see dramatic changes throughout our health system. It would be just the sort of shake up it needs.

masterK

The real problem is that so many people now have health insurance it no longer gets you preferential treatment in hospitals, it has become the norm.

shoegirl

shnaek wrote:

See this post on AAM also:

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=30031

If you have health insurance you have to cover consultants costs (about 2.5k) as VHI won't cover it. Whereas you see him for free if you go public.

Believe me - I am a cynic when it comes to health here!!!;)

Theoretically this is nice, but my mother (who suffers from diabetes and a range of serious related conditions) would have had to wait for 2 years just to see the diabetes specialist if she didn't go private, even though she really cannot afford it.

As it happens they discovered a problem with hardening of the arteries, high cholestrol, blood pressure issues, and she's going for a brain scan this month.

Had she gone public, she may well not have lived the 2 years it would have taken just to see the initial specialist for diabetes.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Jean05

shatter wrote:

Hello!
I'm thinking of getting a health insurance in Eire. Any recommendations and suggestions/tips?

Joachim

Why are you thinking of getting it here? Is it cheaper than Germany?