Health Insurance for single male

secondspring

Hi all,


I know there are a few of these threads already, but I'm getting really confused trying to choose a health insurance plan.


I've decided to take out insurance for the first time next year. I'm a healthy 27yo but have always been consious I have no health insurance. My budget is 1000 max but getting really bogged down with the crazy amount of plans out there.


Does anyone have any pointers?


I'm looking at Aviva Level 2 Health Excess and VHI One + Plan


http://www.avivahealth.ie/__uuid/767edacc-e6b6-44fb-986e-657c6ad7973f/


https://vhi.ie/info/lifestages/productDetails.jsp?key=One_Plus_Plan



I hear that corporate plans are cheaper, and that certain plans have limited access to hi tech hospitals and consultants.

Anything I should be looking out for? Would anything turn you off one of those plans?


One particular point I don't understand is when they say the individual excess is say 150, but then they'll have 1 Euro day to day in brackets underneath. Any idea?


It's a bit of a mine field really. The 1000 budget is also reflecting a rise in premiums next year that I'm assuming will happen.

Any advice would be appreciated.



SS

broker2008

Level 2 health excess & One + Plans are affordable plans that have little or no outpatient cover. They have an excess where you pay the first €125 per claim for inpatient stay where there is a day case or overnight stay. The excess is per claim.

Aviva's plans have two components under the outpatient benefit: day to day medical expenses have no excess ie if the benefit was €25 for a visit to a doctor, they will pay you the full €25 with no excess to reach. For some benefits, they are treated as an outpatient expense rather than a day to day medical expense. Some plans have an excess of €150 for an individual and €250 for families. SOme of vhi plans have an excess of €300 per person. With Aviva, emergency dental care pays up to €450 subject to an excess of €150 for an individual or €250 for a family ie €200 or €300 is refunded - The benefits that are covered in this way tend to be benefits that vhi don't cover at all. Where both excesses are mentioned, Aviva will pay the higher amount to the person. Business Plan Select Plus with Aviva is very good value until the end of the year and offers money back for gp and physio visits amongst other things.

secondspring

broker2008 wrote: »

Level 2 health excess & One + Plans are affordable plans that have little or no outpatient cover. They have an excess where you pay the first €125 per claim for inpatient stay where there is a day case or overnight stay. The excess is per claim.

Aviva's plans have two components under the outpatient benefit: day to day medical expenses have no excess ie if the benefit was €25 for a visit to a doctor, they will pay you the full €25 with no excess to reach. For some benefits, they are treated as an outpatient expense rather than a day to day medical expense. Some plans have an excess of €150 for an individual and €250 for families. SOme of vhi plans have an excess of €300 per person. With Aviva, emergency dental care pays up to €450 subject to an excess of €150 for an individual or €250 for a family ie €200 or €300 is refunded - The benefits that are covered in this way tend to be benefits that vhi don't cover at all. Where both excesses are mentioned, Aviva will pay the higher amount to the person. Business Plan Select Plus with Aviva is very good value until the end of the year and offers money back for gp and physio visits amongst other things.

Thanks for the detailed reply. The Business Plan Select Plus looks like very good value in comparison to other plans around the same money. I can't see it on there website though. Is it a case of contacting them and asking for it directly?

The outpatient vs day to day is beginning to make sense. Are there any details on what plans are likely to go up in price next year?


I was also concerned that Aviva wouldn't have access to the same quantity of consultants, hospitals etc that VHI would. Is this something to be worried about?

Thanks again for the reply


SS

broker2008

http://www.hia.ie/latest-news/aviva-price-reduction-on-business-plan-hospital-plus-and-business-plan-select-plus-01.12.2011.htm

Get in contact wth them direct or via a broker. It doesn't say when the price will increase but to be on safe side start in December.

All 3 insurers would broadly have the same participating consultants. Aviva would have more hospitals and scan centres than VHI

Aviva would be much quicker to cover new hospitals and scan, mri etc centres than vhi eg Cork Medical Centre/Mater in Cork.

Only exception would be the Beacon Hospital as vhi consider it as a private hospital.

secondspring

broker2008 wrote: »

Only exception would be the Beacon Hospital as vhi consider it as a private hospital.

So would Aviva consider Beacon to be high tech as opposed to private?

broker2008

Yes both Aviva and Quinn but its not really a big deal as you will have cover for day case procedures, major heart surgeries and major surgeries. Also there are deals to be done with hospitals if one were to shop around for elective procedures where your level of cover might not be an issue. That's for discussion with the hospitals rather than the insurers.

cookie1977

Aviva are increasing their plan prices from February 15th 2012 by 15%

secondspring

Thanks for all the advice. Happy Christmas!

corkonion

I've bumped this old thread with the same question. Is there one policy out there for a single male that is superior to all others?

Quackster

corkonion wrote: »

I've bumped this old thread with the same question. Is there one policy out there for a single male that is superior to all others?

One thing I would suggest paying attention to, especially if you are outside the major cities and have only one or two private hospitals near you, make sure the plan you choose covers at least one of these hospitals.

Apart from that, go to the policy search tool on hia.ie, set the maximum level of excess you would be comfortable with paying every time you have to be admitted to hospital and study the results.