Work Health Insurance

michelleans

Starting work next week and have been offered a choice of

1) VHI Company Plan Plus Level 1 (lots of info on the net)
2) Quinn Healthcare Company Care Plan
3) VIVAS Health Biz Plan Plus

The two latter I could not find on the internet in any detail (ie what is covered etc)

So I was wondering does anyone have any opinion on which is best?

I'm 23, and perfectly healthy. I'd like to use the GP visits and maybe the dental treatment mainly. The rest would be hospital treatment in case of an accident.

J.S. Pill

michelleans wrote: »

Starting work next week and have been offered a choice of

1) VHI Company Plan Plus Level 1 (lots of info on the net)
2) Quinn Healthcare Company Care Plan
3) VIVAS Health Biz Plan Plus

The two latter I could not find on the internet in any detail (ie what is covered etc)

So I was wondering does anyone have any opinion on which is best?

I'm 23, and perfectly healthy. I'd like to use the GP visits and maybe the dental treatment mainly. The rest would be hospital treatment in case of an accident.

If you're not paying for it at all then go for VHI. Go for vivas (now Hibernian) if you plan on getting laser eye surgery anytime soon but don't join them for any other reason.

sickpuppy32

just remember which ever policy you choose, if your company is paying for it, you;ll get taxed for it off your paycheck as a benefit - in kind-. However at the endof the year, if you send in tax form TR5 ( i think) you'll get your tax back. I only found out about this form this year and was able to claim for the last 3 years. got a nce cheque back!

leeroybrown

sickpuppy32 wrote: »

However at the endof the year, if you send in tax form TR5 ( i think) you'll get your tax back

It's worth noting that tax relief for health insurance is at the standard rate and benefit-in-kind tax is paid at the marginal rate so if you have income taxable at 42% you'll end up paying 22% of the cost of the insurance overall.

I can't comment much on any of the packages though.

How Strange

I'd go for Hibernian or Quinn. You get very little if nothing at all from your VHI insurance where as with the other two you can offset certain types out outpatient visits i.e. physio, doctors visits against your policy and they refund you a certain percentage of the cost of the visit.

Ring them all and ask them for details of what would be covered under the policies and compare them.

If you're 23 there is a high chance that you won't be availing of your VHI insurance for a long long time as it is primarily in patient care based. They are making attempts to compete with the other two insurers but IMO are still stuck in the dark ages as regards benefits and cost of insurance.

You can also take their dental insurance out separately so you can have it even if you chose one of the other two insurers.

RoseBlossom

How Strange wrote: »

You can also take their dental insurance out separately so you can have it even if you chose one of the other two insurers.

If you are considering taking out VHI DeCare dental insurance, talk to your dentist. For some reason a lot of dentists refuse to deal with DeCare (apparently it's not *really* VHI) and won't sign the claim forms. It's good to be aware of your dentist's views in advance! AFAIK you can still get your money, it's just more hassle.

Stark

How Strange wrote: »

I'd go for Hibernian or Quinn. You get very little if nothing at all from your VHI insurance where as with the other two you can offset certain types out outpatient visits i.e. physio, doctors visits against your policy and they refund you a certain percentage of the cost of the visit.

Ring them all and ask them for details of what would be covered under the policies and compare them.

If you're 23 there is a high chance that you won't be availing of your VHI insurance for a long long time as it is primarily in patient care based. They are making attempts to compete with the other two insurers but IMO are still stuck in the dark ages as regards benefits and cost of insurance.

You can also take their dental insurance out separately so you can have it even if you chose one of the other two insurers.

VHI Company Plan Plus gives money towards GP, dentist, optician visits etc.

How Strange

Stark wrote: »

VHI Company Plan Plus gives money towards GP, dentist, optician visits etc.

Yes but unless they've dropped their prices recently that plan is much more expensive than the comparable Hibernian and Quinn plans. Our company were with VHI, we were all on the standard (no bells, no whistles) plan and switched to Hibernian to Biz Plan Plus. The company saved money and the plan is miles better than what we had in VHI.

Stark

The cost isn't relevant to the OP as he's not the one paying it.

clarelib

how would they know if you had an existing condition.. but not fully diagnosed!

mikemac

Definitly go for Vivas if you are planning Laser eye surgery.

€1000 cash back if you go to a certain clinic.
Wasn't aware they had changed to Hiberian, they used to part owned by AIB.

clarelib

can a health insurance company ask for details from other health insurance companies if you switch?
if you tell them you were not insured with anybody before will they still check?