Do you have health insurance?

Comic Book Guy

Hi All,

Like the thread says do you have health insurance?!

i don't but am slightly apprehensive that i actually should have. Don't get me wrong, I'm in good health (early 30s) and all that but most of my peers have insurance and i get quizzical looks when i tell them i don't.

Am i crazy not having it? What are the pro's and con's?

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

barney 20v

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Hi All,

Like the thread says do you have health insurance?!

i don't but am slightly apprehensive that i actually should have. Don't get me wrong, I'm in good health (early 30s) and all that but most of my peers have insurance and i get quizzical looks when i tell them i don't.

Am i crazy not having it? What are the pro's and con's?

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

Yep, but to be fair my employers cover the full cost for me and my family. Early 30s also op and its defo worth having.

Skid

If the Health Insurance prices increase much more (which they will) the only people who will retain it are the very wealthy and the very sick (and anyone whose employer pays for them).

The Private Health Industry will collapse in the next few years - the cost keeps going up while the benefits keep going down.

bleg

Yup, have had it all my life.

Corruptedmorals

Early 20's. I wouldn't be without it, it's already paid out a load of times for me. You won't get much more of a pros and cons list than cons: It's expensive and you might not ever utilise it. Pros: It's always there if you need it, will get you to a consultant and tests done within a week, as opposed to a year plus in the public system for simple things like ultrasounds etc. And of course, it's a good option to have for someone planning on getting pregnant because they have a lot of choices over what way they will go for their care.

roy rodgers

No don't have it and never did.
Broke my arm and needed an operation and it and was done straight away so don't see the point in health insurance.

bodhrandude

Do you not mean ETA insurance, insurance for the Basque Separatists.

Mr Benevolent

Yeah, it's only €80 per month. I have a chronic stomach problem, could be useful to the long run.

galwayrush

Can't afford it, don't always get paid for work. It would have been a great help when the wife got cancer, but nothing we could do.

anamara86

I have health insurance too - for me, it's for piece of mind should anything happen.

Wanderer2010

I didnt have it for years but after damaging my leg fairly bad a few years ago and forking out quite a lot on hospital visits etc I decided to have it as a back up in case the same should happen again. I did settle on VHI in the end but with the proposed increases in premiums this year Im doing some serious shopping around and maybe even change companies to get a cheaper deal. Im only after a basic plan, nothing too fancy, and that is better than nothing.

sxt

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

Hi All,

Like the thread says do you have health insurance?!

i don't but am slightly apprehensive that i actually should have. Don't get me wrong, I'm in good health (early 30s) and all that but most of my peers have insurance and i get quizzical looks when i tell them i don't.
.

You would have got quizzical looks if you said you weren't trying to get on the property ladder 4 or 5 years ago.. or if you weren't watching the x factor 3-4 years ago..Why does it matter to you what way people look at you? Your the boss

Czarcasm

I wouldn't be without it either. In the same way as it's reassuring to have it (well, mandatory!) if you drive, it's reassuring to have it so you're covered should you be unfortunate enough to ever need to avail of it!

Menas

Employer pays for mine and the wife and kids so I am lucky. But I would not be without it. It has saved us money and gotten us good fast care over the years.

Yes the public system will be fast in certain situations like a broken arm op....but for something life threatening I would not want to be at the mercy of a bankrupt health system.

MadYaker

I do but I don't think the insurance company know about half the sh!te I do be getting involved in.

BraziliaNZ

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but f*ck it I've got VHI

B Rabbit

Yep! Employer pays for it. Early 20s btw

hattoncracker

If I get my permanent contract, I'll get it through work..

If not, I'm thinking of getting it, but will habe to see how much my car insurance will have gone up because of the vaginal extra..

Czarcasm

hattoncracker wrote: »

If I get my permanent contract, I'll get it through work..

If not, I'm thinking of getting it, but will habe to see how much my car insurance will have gone up because of the vaginal extra..

Because of the what?? :pac:

StinkyMunkey

Im a family man, 2 kids and a wife, getting VHI was a no brainer for me.

Its the difference between going public or private.

Public is fine if you like long queues and have a high pain threshold.

Private/semi private wins hands down.

Went semi private with both kids, public is ok if you like the Zoo (these days anyway). That my experience in dublin anyway!

After a particular bad crash on the motorbike, it helped a great deal having VHI.

cosbloodymick

How do you manage to get your employer to buy you your health insurance?

Grayson

I'm in my 30's and I have it. But only since I started with my current employer 5 years ago. I've been hospitalised twice in the last 5 years and they're the only times I've been in hospital since I was a kid. The first time I ended up on a chest ward with a load of old guys. One screamed his way through the night, every night. After two days a private room became available and I was shunted off. For that alone I'm grateful I had insurance.

Besides that I've needed follow ups. Every year I go to a private hospital for a couple of procedures. The VHI only covers some of it but still saves me hundreds. I pay about €70 myself. Still it means no waiting.

Grayson

cosbloodymick wrote: »

How do you manage to get your employer to buy you your health insurance?

Part of the contract with mine. Most of the big multinationals have the option.

I know there was one guy who complained because it counts as benefit in kind and affected his PRSI. He did some maths (I don't know how accurate) and worked out that it was a few quid cheaper per year to buy it himself. He spend ages chasing after the company until eventually they removed him from the company health plan.

hattoncracker

Czarcasm wrote: »

Because of the what?? :pac:

My car insurance is going up because I have a vagina and the insurance companies decided that its much fairer to make me pay extra than to let men pay less because penises dont effect driving ability unless you are very well hung and get turned on by traffic lights.

keano_afc

Absolutely, I wouldnt be without it. I pay it through work out of my salary. I had bad hip pain 3 months ago so my doctor sent me to get it looked at and because I had health insurance he sent me private. Here I am after being operated on and I feel great. I got an MRI in a week after my first consultation and 2 weeks after seeing my consultant was going under the knife. A friend of mine who doesnt have insurance needs an MRI on his shoulder and when he went to see his GP in November last year was told he would get his MRI in August 2013 at the earliest. I dread to think how long it would have taken for my operation if I didnt have insurance.

cosbloodymick

Grayson wrote: »

Part of the contract with mine. Most of the big multinationals have the option.

I know there was one guy who complained because it counts as benefit in kind and affected his PRSI. He did some maths (I don't know how accurate) and worked out that it was a few quid cheaper per year to buy it himself. He spend ages chasing after the company until eventually they removed him from the company health plan.

Is it always taxed as BIK? And what rate is BIK?, the same rate as income tax?

thenightrider

NO i don't have it and I am very sick i just cant afford it.

Max Power

Yes I do, it gives me piece of mind.

Was talking a female friend the other day and she was telling me her friend had a baby last year but didn't have HI. She had to wait 9 months to have it. Shocking!

LoonyLovegood

Don't have it. Can't afford it anyway, I went shopping around, it's too expensive. I'm already heavily entangled in the public system anyway, so there I will stay

x43r0

Yep, employer covers it. Dental plan too









.......Lisa needs braces

anniehoo

No dont have it, i just couldnt stretch to another bill for €80+/mth without totally becoming a hermit to pay all my bills.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Don't have it, can't afford it.

Sad thing is I have health insurance on both my dogs and my cat

Czarcasm

hattoncracker wrote: »

My car insurance is going up because I have a vagina and the insurance companies decided that its much fairer to make me pay extra than to let men pay less because penises dont effect driving ability unless you are very well hung and get turned on by traffic lights.

Ohh right! Makes much more sense now!

Damn androgynous usernames! :pac:

Pottler

I had a shop and she was my best (looking)customer, got chatting and it all went from there. Married with two kids now, still mad about her.



I've a feeling I'm mixing somthing up tonight, not sure what.

Stheno

cosbloodymick wrote: »

How do you manage to get your employer to buy you your health insurance?

Part of benefits from some employers

I have it wouldn't be without it.

Pottler wrote: »

I had a shop and she was my best (looking)customer, got chatting and it all went from there. Married with two kids now, still mad about her.



I've a feeling I'm mixing somthing up tonight, not sure what.

You may have misread HI to be something else?

anniehoo

Alejandro Quiet Manic wrote: »

Don't have it, can't afford it.

Sad thing is I have health insurance on both my dogs and my cat

Same boat, although my cats insurance is only €9/mth ...wish it was the same for me

Mushy

Don't have it at the moment. Maybe when I stop paying Sky and spending money stupidly it'll happen. So soon enough is the plan.

Jijsaw

Jimmy Savile is Innocent wrote: »

Yep, employer covers it. Dental plan too









.......Lisa needs braces

Lenny: Dental Plan!
Marge: Lisa needs braces.
Lenny: Dental Plan!
Marge: Lisa needs braces.
Lenny: Dental Plan!
Marge: Lisa needs braces.
Lenny: Dental Plan!
Marge: Lisa needs braces.
Lenny: Dental Plan!
Marge: Lisa needs braces.
Lenny: Dental Plan!
Marge: Lisa needs braces.

the groutch

my trips to the hospital (as a patient) are on average one a decade, so don't really see the value in it.

Sugar Free

Employer pays in full for a pretty decent plan. Very fortunate as otherwise the same plan would be upwards of 1000E a year I believe.

Pottler

Stheno wrote: »

You may have misread HI to be something else?

Or I may have been messing/confused/taking the mick at which particular survey thread I was replying to.;)

omega666

its expensive being the best part of a 1000 euro a year min.

Worth it if you have a family or get frequently sick, If money is tight and your young, single with no history of illness its worth taking a chance and do without id say

Senna

Have it all my life, just put the wife on it this year, she had a medical card till then.
Would have got a bill for €850 last month but the HI paid it.

happyoutscan

Have had it for years now and wouldn't go without it. I'd even give up pints, sky, internet for it. Easily.

Stheno

omega666 wrote: »

its expensive being the best part of a 1000 euro a year min.

Worth it if you have a family or get frequently sick, If money is tight and your young, single with no history of illness its worth taking a chance and do without id say

Have an unexpected non critical accident and see the difference that makes.

happened to me, HI for the last five years, odd claim for doctor visits.

One bad accident, what with scans and access to private surgeons got sorted far quicker than on public health. Having it also means that the long term care I will need will not have me scrabbling for €1000 every six months, it's covered by my health insurance.

omega666

Stheno wrote: »

Have an unexpected non critical accident and see the difference that makes.

happened to me, HI for the last five years, odd claim for doctor visits.

One bad accident, what with scans and access to private surgeons got sorted far quicker than on public health. Having it also means that the long term care I will need will not have me scrabbling for €1000 every six months, it's covered by my health insurance.

I did, i broke my leg a few years back and needed an operation and couple nights stay in hospital. And regular visits to a physio for a few months after. It was all done under 2 weeks and didn't cost me a bob except for the A and E charge and a small sum for the 2 nights in hospital stay if i can remember correctly.

I actually had VHI at the time but didn't even have to use it.
I gave it up straight after that and haven't needed to use it since then.
I was paying just under a 1000 a year so by that reckoning i've saved myself
nearly 5000 euro!!
I'll prob sign up again for VHI again when im older but quitting it 5 years ago was certainly the right decision.

Stheno

omega666 wrote: »

I did, i broke my leg a few years back and needed an operation and couple nights stay in hospital. And regular visits to a physio for a few months after. It was all done under 2 weeks and didn't cost me a bob except for the A and E charge and a small sum for the 2 nights in hospital stay if i can remember correctly.

I actually had VHI at the time but didn't even have to use it.
I gave it up straight after that and haven't needed to use it since then.
I was paying just under a 1000 a year so by that reckoning i've saved myself
nearly 5000 euro!!

I said non critical meaning no broken bones.

I've had three MRI scans (€600) first within two days of booking, and superb follow on treatment that has cost me over €2000 since I had an accident.

Without HI I'd not have been able to afford it as I know I can claim it back, I'd still be waiting for one scan six months later.

Six months of physio is also not cheap. And being able to see a physio without taking time off work is in itself worth a lot to me.

omega666

Stheno wrote: »

I said non critical meaning no broken bones.

I've had three MRI scans (€600) first within two days of booking, and superb follow on treatment that has cost me over €2000 since I had an accident.

Without HI I'd not have been able to afford it as I know I can claim it back, I'd still be waiting for one scan six months later.

Six months of physio is also not cheap. And being able to see a physio without taking time off work is in itself worth a lot to me.

Look every person is different,
It may have saved you a fortune whereas if you never needed to use it then you might have viewed it as wasted money.

If someone has track record of having health problems then of course it makes sense to have insurance.

On the other hand if you don't have a history of problems and money is tight then take a chance which i did and its worked out for me so far as i've an extra 5000 euro in my pocket.

I may get hit by a car crossing the road tomorrow or i may never get sick again until i'm 85. I'm happy to take that chance.

Stheno

omega666 wrote: »

Look every person is different,
It may have saved you a fortune whereas if you never needed to use it then you might have viewed it as wasted money.

If someone has track record of having health problems then of course it makes sense to have insurance.

On the other hand if you don't have a history of problems and money is tight then take a chance which i did and its worked out for me so far as i've an extra 5000 euro in my pocket.

I may get hit by a car crossing the road tomorrow or i may never get sick again until i'm 85. I'm happy to take that chance.

I agree to be honest

I just like to have that assurance that if something goes wrong I'm not restricted due to finances to the public system.

fasttalkerchat

I had it put cancelled it when i realised you still have to pay for a GP yourself. Its kinda pointless unless its free.

El Guapo!

I wish I had it but just can't afford it at the minute.
My grandad is in hospital for the last couple of months and I wish he had insurance. I'd love if he could be in the Mater private or something, but instead he's stuck in Mary's in the Phoenix park. What a hell hole that is. I wouldn't wish that place on my worst enemy.