Health Insurance query

chases0102

Hi all,

Someone here might be able to help me out.

On the bus today, I overheard (genuinely...no eavesdropping, I swear!) a conversation about people who do not, nor ever had, Health Insurance.

Basically, one person said that if they do not purchase Health Insurance before May this year, then they'll be screwed as they go on. Some new law or regulation...Is this true?

I have unfortunately never been financially sound enough to pay for Health Insurance, but it has always been my priority once I became permanent in my job.

So is this the case? Do I need to get Health Insurance to avoid being penalised in the future?

Toto Wolfcastle

From here:

Lifetime community rating

From 1 May 2015, higher charges will apply to people who are 35 years of age or older when they first take out health insurance. There will be a 2% loading for each year over 34 years of age. So, for example, if you are 35 the cost will be 2% higher than for a person aged 34 but if you are 44 the cost will be 20% higher.

These loadings will not apply if you already have health insurance when they come into effect.

If you have a break in cover of less than 13 weeks this will not affect your loading.

If you are not insured on 1 May 2015 but previously had health insurance, you can be given credit for the time you were insured, reducing the number of years to which the loading applies.

If you stopped your insurance cover for periods of unemployment since 1 January 2008, up to three years of credits can be provided.

If you live outside Ireland on 1 May 2015 but subsequently move to live in Ireland, a loading will not apply if you get health insurance within nine months and continue to be insured.

The Department of Health has published a list of frequently asked questions about lifetime community rating. The regulations are set out in Statutory Instrument 312 of 2014 (pdf).

chases0102

Cheers! So don't have to worry for a few years yet.