VHI outrageous quote..need ideas please?!

martco

Hi,
hope this is the right place to ask this.
I'm 43, wife 40 and we have 3 children age 12, 10, 4. I'm self employed. Were fairly healthy really, def exercise and diet conscious with no major probs historically or genetically that we know of.
I have what used to be called Plan B (now Family Plus L2) with the "corporate discount" (whatever that means). Been in VHI forever.

This year I am expected to pay €3,300 for the year coming.
I backtracked and 4 years ago I was paying nearly half this amount. I nearly had a heart attack ironically...but really this has to stop, I simply cannot afford this sort of money anymore....

So far have had these ideas...all of them involve stopping all further payments to VHI and instead:
1. redirect payments into a rainy day bank account
2. option 1. above + take cover with someone like the HSF (generally only thing missing is operations cover I believe)
3. persist with other main insurer like Aviva etc. but drop children out (several friends now have this theory that health insurance for children is a but of a scam because the way the system works no hospital will turn away a child EVER...and I have to say from recollection I cannot remember a time I've ever had to mention VHI policy numbers to anyone for any of my 3's incidents with Crumlin, Temple St. etc.

Can anyone help me reach a conclusion here? Currently I am thinking option #2 above is best route out of the mess.

thanks!
martin

siochain

Yeah it's a hard call with the kids, last two times kids had stays and had procedures done in tallagh insurance was asked front.

ted1

I downed graded my policy completely and kept the wives and 2.kids on a some what decent policy. If it goes up next year I'll be canceling mine.

Brian?

siochain wrote: »

Yeah it's a hard call with the kids, last two times kids had stays and had procedures done in tallagh insurance was asked front.

You'll be asked if you have insurance. But no one in Ireland will ever be refused treatment on the basis of lack of insurance.

The shame is that you'll have to wait longer for out patient treatments without insurance.

huskerdu

I understand your situation. We are on the same plan and we need to reduce the cost.

Family Plan plus covers you for a lot of private hospitals. If you are happy with cover for a private room in a public hospital, there are a lot of plans from the VHI and other insurers which are a lot cheaper.

As for your comment about dropping the kids, I would disagree.

If your child need emergency treatment, they will be admitted and get treatment, like anyone else.

However, if your child needs non-emergency but important surgery like grommets, there is a waiting list for public treatment and you might appreciate being able to get the operation done quickly.

Private health insurance in Ireland allows you to skip the wating lists in the public system. Its rotten, but that is what it does.

It doesn't make sense to me to pay insurance to skip the queue for you, but not your kids.

maddragon

Have you checked out the hia.ie website for policy quotes and comparisons. Our family of 6 is paying €1800 per annum as the kids are heavily discounted on the particular policy. My own cover is sh1t though (€485 pa). Rest of the family are on laya essential connect.

killwill

My company thought they were paying too much for health insurance with them so changed to Laya. Equal cover but much cheaper.