Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Health Insurance Levy

Options
13

Comments

  • Options
    #62
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users Posts: 24,489 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    antoobrien wrote: »

    Actually not true, young motorists are considered a higher risk, so it costs more for a young person to ensure a car in Ireland than an older person.

    which of course makes no sense at all and is blatantly discriminatory; and is used as a lazy excuse since generally younger people are also less experienced.

    A 25 year old with 7 year experience is far more capable than a 50 year old with 2 but do you think that's going to be accurately reflected?


  • Options
    #63
    antoobrien
    Registered Users Posts: 6,106 ✭✭✭antoobrien


    Head The Wall wrote: »
    And an old person is considered a higher risk than a healthy young person so why isn't it balanced the other way around

    Risk equalisationwhich explains why men have to pay for maternity services that they can't benefit from and women having to pay for prostate & testicular cancer insurance.
    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    which of course makes no sense at all and is blatantly discriminatory; and is used as a lazy excuse since generally younger people are also less experienced.

    It's apparently backed up by facts as it's claimed that:
    younger drivers in Ireland are statistically more likely to have accidents, this explains why there can be sizeable differences in insurance costs between younger and older drivers

    The AA have some figures that back this up.
    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    A 25 year old with 7 year experience is far more capable than a 50 year old with 2 but do you think that's going to be accurately reflected?

    The no claims bonus system allows for some equalization of that.
    beauf wrote: »
    How?

    If people weren't willing, or couldn't afford it, before. They certainly are not going to be willing or be able to afford it now. If you were struggling before this, is now kicking you when you are well and truly down.

    The only people who this might encourage IS the younger people. Anyone else its just putting it out of their reach.

    That's one argument. The other is that people often end up getting insurance when they have kids or when they see a relative get sick. This will provide an additional incentive to get health insurance.


  • Options
    #64
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,651 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    antoobrien wrote: »
    ...That's one argument. The other is that people often end up getting insurance when they have kids or when they see a relative get sick. This will provide an additional incentive to get health insurance.

    I'm not sure making something more expensive is an incentive for people who can't currently afford it.

    Or indeed where the system, seems to have little impact for say kids. Where there isn't really any difference between public and private.

    Unless you think the main problem is with people who can afford it, deliberate opting out as a lifestyle choice when they can easily afford it.

    The insurance companies creating ultra low cost plans (in their mind anyway) would seem to suggest that its affordability that's the problem.


  • Options
    #65
    Shemale
    Registered Users Posts: 3,376 ✭✭✭Shemale


    For everyone who takes out cover the government collects about 25% levy.

    Word of warning, VHI are toerags.

    I moved house and was going on the work scheme so didnt need cover, I noticed my premium had increased and queried this, VHI auto renewed my policy. I told them I didnt need cover and they said its renewed and if you cancel you have to pay us the full Government Levy as we paid it upfront (€800). Even though they get a pro rata refund upon cancellation they tried bully me into paying it even though I never received a renewal notice or renewal confirmation.

    The other health insurers give a pro rata refund if the levy whereas VHI charge you the refund as a fee but pretend its the government levy.

    My advice dont go with VHI if there is a chance you will have to cancel mid term


  • Options
    #66
    LostArt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,808 ✭✭✭LostArt


    Shemale wrote: »
    For everyone who takes out cover the government collects about 25% levy.

    Word of warning, VHI are toerags.

    I moved house and was going on the work scheme so didnt need cover, I noticed my premium had increased and queried this, VHI auto renewed my policy. I told them I didnt need cover and they said its renewed and if you cancel you have to pay us the full Government Levy as we paid it upfront (€800). Even though they get a pro rata refund upon cancellation they tried bully me into paying it even though I never received a renewal notice or renewal confirmation.

    The other health insurers give a pro rata refund if the levy whereas VHI charge you the refund as a fee but pretend its the government levy.

    My advice dont go with VHI if there is a chance you will have to cancel mid term

    The other insurers don't give a pro rata refund of the levy.
    http://www.hia.ie/consumer-information/cancelling


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #67
    Shemale
    Registered Users Posts: 3,376 ✭✭✭Shemale


    LostArt wrote: »
    The other insurers don't give a pro rata refund of the levy.
    http://www.hia.ie/consumer-information/cancelling

    Maybe they changed when this equalisation was introduced, one of my colleagues was with Laya when we were made perm and she got a pro rata refund including the levy.

    The loose regulation around fees is worrying,."may charge you", brokers have to issue terms of business advising the max fee they will apply.

    VHI told me the levy was due to the government and didnt mention it was their fee, they even included a €50 admin fee in top of their fee.Troubling you can be bound in a 12 month contract without giving renewal instructions or authorising debits from your bank account.

    When you move house writing to your health providor doesnt come into your head, they had.my email address but never made contact through it.

    Outrageous if they are all at.


  • Options
    #68
    titan18
    Registered Users Posts: 11,954 ✭✭✭✭titan18


    Trying to get a refund off the government is impossible. If you change insurer during the year, the levy will be paid by both insurers. Insurer has very little chance of getting it back


  • Options
    #69
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    Shemale wrote: »
    For everyone who takes out cover the government collects about 25% levy.

    Word of warning, VHI are toerags.

    I moved house and was going on the work scheme so didnt need cover, I noticed my premium had increased and queried this, VHI auto renewed my policy. I told them I didnt need cover and they said its renewed and if you cancel you have to pay us the full Government Levy as we paid it upfront (€800). Even though they get a pro rata refund upon cancellation they tried bully me into paying it even though I never received a renewal notice or renewal confirmation.

    The other health insurers give a pro rata refund if the levy whereas VHI charge you the refund as a fee but pretend its the government levy.

    My advice dont go with VHI if there is a chance you will have to cancel mid term

    If your employer pays for your new health insurance, even just subsidize a small part of it you will be able to escape your insurance with VHI mid term with no penalty. Explain this to VHI. As with all contracts there are a number of exceptions to it.


  • Options
    #70
    nice_guy80
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,723 ✭✭✭nice_guy80


    Full Marx wrote: »
    If your employer pays for your new health insurance, even just subsidize a small part of it you will be able to escape your insurance with VHI mid term with no penalty. Explain this to VHI. As with all contracts there are a number of exceptions to it.

    How many people actually have health insurance paid by their employer?
    Very, very few


  • Options
    #71
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    nice_guy80 wrote: »
    How many people actually have health insurance paid by their employer?
    Very, very few
    You'd be surprised, lots of places do, especially big multinationals. (Mine and my immediate families insurance is paid by my employer)


    You can always lie and say your employer has agreed to pay it for you.... to get out of the contract.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #72
    nice_guy80
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,723 ✭✭✭nice_guy80


    Full Marx wrote: »
    You'd be surprised, lots of places do, especially big multinationals. (Mine and my immediate families insurance is paid by my employer)


    You can always lie and say your employer has agreed to pay it for you.... to get out of the contract.

    The joys of private sector employees.
    Fringe benefits.
    Is that taxed as benefit in kind? Just wondering.

    I still haven't made up mind about the health insurance.
    The amount of advertising by health insurance companies at the moment would suggest they will be making a killing on new entrants to the system.
    Plus, the government rake in more money


  • Options
    #73
    LostArt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,808 ✭✭✭LostArt


    nice_guy80 wrote: »
    Plus, the government rake in more money

    How?


  • Options
    #74
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users Posts: 16,510 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    I'm 40, never had PHI and won't start now.

    Realistically someone would need to be paying between 1 and 2 grand per year to get reasonable cover, that's a lot of money to pay for the next 30 years.

    I know the reason they want my age group and younger to sign up is to pay for the older people but like many I just can't afford it.


  • Options
    #75
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    Galwayguy35 wrote: »
    I'm 40, never had PHI and won't start now.

    Realistically someone would need to be paying between 1 and 2 grand per year to get reasonable cover, that's a lot of money to pay for the next 30 years.

    I know the reason they want my age group and younger to sign up is to pay for the older people but like many I just can't afford it.

    You can get decent cover for about 800 and very good for your age group for about 1100.


  • Options
    #76
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    nice_guy80 wrote: »
    The joys of private sector employees.
    Fringe benefits.
    Is that taxed as benefit in kind? Just wondering.

    I still haven't made up mind about the health insurance.
    The amount of advertising by health insurance companies at the moment would suggest they will be making a killing on new entrants to the system.
    Plus, the government rake in more money

    Some ps get theirs too, many places will pay half or a third of the cost. Yeah you do get bik on that although I reckon that may depend on who you work for?


  • Options
    #77
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    Interesting thread here with glo health answering questions about LCR, havnt exactly been forthcoming in their response to my questions have they...

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=95033618&postcount=8


  • Options
    #78
    nice_guy80
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,723 ✭✭✭nice_guy80


    Full Marx wrote: »
    Some ps get theirs too, many places will pay half or a third of the cost. Yeah you do get bik on that although I reckon that may depend on who you work for?

    name one PS area where workers get their health insurance paid?


  • Options
    #79
    Captain Chaos
    Registered Users Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Captain Chaos


    Full Marx wrote: »
    You can get decent cover for about 800 and very good for your age group for about 1100.

    TBH, it would be cheaper to just take out a loan when you need it than paying around 30k in health insurance. Or setting up a private saving account for that purpose. PHI is a scam imo. When my grand parents were sick and needed to go private they just used their personal savings, much much cheaper than years of paying PHI that probably didn't cover what they needed at the time anyway.


  • Options
    #80
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users Posts: 16,510 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    Captain Chaos wrote: »
    TBH, it would be cheaper to just take out a loan when you need it than paying around 30k in health insurance. Or setting up a private saving account for that purpose. PHI is a scam imo. When my grand parents were sick and needed to go private they just used their personal savings, much much cheaper than years of paying PHI that probably didn't cover what they needed at the time anyway.

    Exactly, and if someone doesn't read the fine print they can just tell you "sorry that's not covered in your plan you will need to upgrade".

    I know someone this happened to.


  • Options
    #81
    Godge
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,727 ✭✭✭✭Godge


    Full Marx wrote: »
    Some ps get theirs too, many places will pay half or a third of the cost. Yeah you do get bik on that although I reckon that may depend on who you work for?


    Which parts of the public service get their health insurance paid for them?

    Have you got a list or did you just make this up?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #82
    creedp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭creedp


    Galwayguy35 wrote: »
    I'm 40, never had PHI and won't start now.

    Realistically someone would need to be paying between 1 and 2 grand per year to get reasonable cover, that's a lot of money to pay for the next 30 years.

    I know the reason they want my age group and younger to sign up is to pay for the older people but like many I just can't afford it.

    Absolutely. Unless the young can be coerced to join then PHI will become prohibitely expensive for the older population and become unsustainable. To be honest, PHI with community rating is a joke unless its made manadatory from a certain age and becomes the primarly source of funds for the health services. In Ireland of course we want it everyway, taxpayers pay for the system and on top of that if you are prepared to pay a PHI top-up you can ride the back of the ordinary taxpayer and get preferential access to the health services funded by the ordinary taxpayer.


  • Options
    #83
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    Godge wrote: »
    Which parts of the public service get their health insurance paid for them?

    Have you got a list or did you just make this up?

    That's a bit hostile, why would I make it up? I brought it up initially to help another poster, as if his employer will subsidise his insurance to any degree he can escape his current contract with no penalty.

    I don't have a big list but some of the semi states and councils do, albeit probably not for all employees. The HSE do for some, RTE, CIE, some govt departments and I'd assume vhi itself. You'll probably ask for some proof, I don't have any, just what I know from my own experiences and conversations. Why would I make it up? I think it's great that employers look after their workers with healthcare. (Even if I think we should have a proper public system)


  • Options
    #84
    nice_guy80
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,723 ✭✭✭nice_guy80


    Full Marx wrote: »
    That's a bit hostile, why would I make it up? I brought it up initially to help another poster, as if his employer will subsidise his insurance to any degree he can escape his current contract with no penalty.

    I don't have a big list but some of the semi states and councils do, albeit probably not for all employees. The HSE do for some, RTE, CIE, some govt departments and I'd assume vhi itself. You'll probably ask for some proof, I don't have any, just what I know from my own experiences and conversations. Why would I make it up? I think it's great that employers look after their workers with healthcare. (Even if I think we should have a proper public system)

    Semi state is not PS.


  • Options
    #85
    creedp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭creedp


    nice_guy80 wrote: »
    Semi state is not PS.
    I wonder does the public utility company IW pay for health insurance? Maybe as it provides a gym for its employees they don't need health insurance! But again IW does not equal POS


  • Options
    #86
    FreudianSlippers
    Registered Users Posts: 20,397 ✭✭✭✭FreudianSlippers


    creedp wrote: »
    I wonder does the public utility company IW pay for health insurance? Maybe as it provides a gym for its employees they don't need health insurance! But again IW does not equal POS
    They're a semi-state.


  • Options
    #87
    Godge
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,727 ✭✭✭✭Godge


    Full Marx wrote: »
    That's a bit hostile, why would I make it up? I brought it up initially to help another poster, as if his employer will subsidise his insurance to any degree he can escape his current contract with no penalty.

    I don't have a big list but some of the semi states and councils do, albeit probably not for all employees. The HSE do for some, RTE, CIE, some govt departments and I'd assume vhi itself. You'll probably ask for some proof, I don't have any, just what I know from my own experiences and conversations. Why would I make it up? I think it's great that employers look after their workers with healthcare. (Even if I think we should have a proper public system)


    The HSE do not pay for medical insurance. Neither do government departments, county councils or non-commercial semi-State organisations. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform do not allow it and the Comptroller and Auditor General would have them up before the PAC. So again, I ask, produce something concrete or withdraw.

    The commercial semi-states (RTE, VHI, CIE) I don't know about them but they are not public servants. If you read the FEMPI Acts, you will see that employees of organisations like that are not public servants.

    As a former public servant I am fed up with this type of misinformation and lies about public servants that are posted on these boards all of the time.

    What may be confusing you is that many public service organisations facilitate deductions from wages straight to VHI, but it is coming out of net wages.


  • Options
    #88
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    Godge wrote: »
    The HSE do not pay for medical insurance. Neither do government departments, county councils or non-commercial semi-State organisations. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform do not allow it and the Comptroller and Auditor General would have them up before the PAC. So again, I ask, produce something concrete or withdraw.

    I would say that only people with publicly paid health insurance would be someone like foreign affairs people posted overseas or the like.
    As a former public servant I am fed up with this type of misinformation and lies about public servants that are posted on these boards all of the time.

    it never stops though.


  • Options
    #89
    Full Marx
    Registered Users Posts: 666 ✭✭✭Full Marx


    Godge wrote: »
    The HSE do not pay for medical insurance. Neither do government departments, county councils or non-commercial semi-State organisations. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform do not allow it and the Comptroller and Auditor General would have them up before the PAC. So again, I ask, produce something concrete or withdraw.

    The commercial semi-states (RTE, VHI, CIE) I don't know about them but they are not public servants. If you read the FEMPI Acts, you will see that employees of organisations like that are not public servants.

    As a former public servant I am fed up with this type of misinformation and lies about public servants that are posted on these boards all of the time.

    What may be confusing you is that many public service organisations facilitate deductions from wages straight to VHI, but it is coming out of net wages.
    Maybe I shouldnt have said anything so. I'm not going to be brow beaten into withdrawing anything. I know that some public service, including somecouncil workers had theirs paid, partly or otherwise. (although it was back when there was just VHI) I'm not confusing anything.


  • Options
    #90
    holdfast
    Registered Users Posts: 1,150 ✭✭✭holdfast


    The dept of defense does, but they will be stuck with the levy if they wish to avoid future cost. Additionally it looks like they will be hit with BIK for having it.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #91
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,281 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    Godge wrote: »
    Which parts of the public service get their health insurance paid for them?

    Have you got a list or did you just make this up?


    Nobody in the public service get their health insurance paid by their employers.

    Maybe in some semi-states, but I doubt it.


Advertisement