Is VHI actually needed

boogerballs

I currently pay over €500 per month for VHI that covers me the wife and two kids. All we ever used it for was to claim back GP costs but these are now free as both kids are under 6.
If any of us got really sick and needed treatment for a serious illness or injury I'm sure we'd be covered by standard public cover.
€500 per month is not really something I can easily afford so I'm thinking about cancelling it. Is this wise or is private health insurance something that's really needed?

Nervous Wreck

Personally, id prefer to put that €500 into a savings account every month. You'll always be covered by public healthcare. Others' opinions will differ, obvs.

dev100

It's like anything else unless you need it , you will always see it as a waste of money it's only until u use it then things may change . Define public health care / put on a long waiting list to see a consultant then long waiting list for MRI etc and then it's a long wait for a public operation. And let's be honest if you have kids you will do anything in your power if they are poorly to get them right ... what said if for me was a lad in work mentioned his relative no private health care has a daughter who needed an operation and they ended up getting a loan to pay for it . And now they are paying a loan on a weekly basis.

The YOPPA

I've been with the vhi a long time, same set up, wife & 2 children. For years and years we never needed them, until 2011 when I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, totally out of the blue.

Specialist appointments were arranged, countless blood tests, scans, biopsy & started dialysis in 2013, and luckily received a new kidney last April. Even as I type I am in a bed in CUH with an infection.

Am I glad I kept giving my precious money to the vhi...yes.

You just never know what's around the corner.

I know money is tight but I firmly believe your health is your wealth.

All the best.

Colser

Its seems expensive OP..are you on the highest rate,could you reduce to a basic plan?

Wanderer78

if you can afford it your probably better off with it but its actually a scam. theres no reason why ireland shouldnt have a health care system like the nhs or any of the others available worldwide.

RainyDay

http://www.rte.ie/tv/scannal/susielong.html

blackbird 49

Ive been with VHI for years, would rather not be paying it, all it really does is get things done quicker, for example a few years back my son needed his tonsils out, waiting list( public) about 2 years, VHI waiting list 2 weeks, the public hospital surgeon is also the private one with the vhi, all done in the same hospital, also when you start coming to a certain age it can make a difference it shouldn't but it does,

Dubwat

The YOPPA wrote: »

I've been with the vhi a long time, same set up, wife & 2 children. For years and years we never needed them, until 2011 when I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, totally out of the blue.

Specialist appointments were arranged, countless blood tests, scans, biopsy & started dialysis in 2013, and luckily received a new kidney last April. Even as I type I am in a bed in CUH with an infection.

Am I glad I kept giving my precious money to the vhi...yes.

You just never know what's around the corner.

I know money is tight but I firmly believe your health is your wealth.

All the best.

Diagnosed 2011 and started dialysis in 2013...

I gave up my health insurance a few years back. I'm *hoping* the big stuff like heart disease/cancer (or kidneys) would be dealt with at the same speed? Am I being stupid?

Do you think you got faster treatment for your life-threatening illness because you had health insurance?

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Same boat here, would rather not pay it but believe it's a must for our family. I did move to a 'company plan' a few years ago, which saved us a fair chunk each month.

Had some procedure done recently that ran into the thousands and most of it covered. Glad I wasn't stuck having to come up with the funds to pay it.

A family member has been told there's a 14 months wait for a UGI via public health but could get it done within 2-4 weeks on private health insurance.

OP perhaps reduce your cover or move to a company plan?

newacc2015

OP if you are paying €500 a month. It sounds like you are a top notch plan. Downgrade your health insurance. You will lose GP and full private room in top notch private hospital. But you still have a solid plan with VHI.

The trick with private health insurance is to look for the plans not advertised openly. Under Irish Law you are entitled to any plan, even corporate plans for selected companies

The VHI nurses and midwives plan is one of their very good plans rebranded. It is about 800/900 cheaper than the official plan
https://www.inmo.ie/Article/PrintArticle/8508

If you get sick in the Monday with a skin infection. Could you shell out €4k for a few days in the Mater private? Private health insurance opens new doors for you. You can wait a few weeks for a scan or get it done tomorrow with private health insurance. Generally if you need any minor surgery, you can get it done within a week going private versus 9-12 months going public.

Dont cancel your insurance. Get a plan that is more suited for your needs.

newacc2015

OP if you are paying €500 a month. It sounds like you are a top notch plan. Downgrade your health insurance. You will lose GP and full private room in top notch private hospital. But you still have a solid plan with VHI.

The trick with private health insurance is to look for the plans not advertised openly. Under Irish Law you are entitled to any plan, even corporate plans for selected companies

The VHI nurses and midwives plan is one of their very good plans rebranded. It is about 800/900 cheaper than the official plan
https://www.inmo.ie/Article/PrintArticle/8508

If you get sick in the Monday with a skin infection. Could you shell out €4k for a few days in the Mater private? Private health insurance opens new doors for you. You can wait a few weeks for a scan or get it done tomorrow with private health insurance. Generally if you need any minor surgery, you can get it done within a week going private versus 9-12 months going public.

Dont cancel your insurance. Get a plan that is more suited for your needs.

Glen_Quagmire

I got VHI a few months back and I went to the VHI clinic in January for a injured hand as I didn't want to wait for hours in A&E.

Let me tell you my story....

The VHI xrayed my hand and I was told there was no fractures and I was given a splint and sent away. I also waited about 3 hours that day as they were "busy". I thought VHI clinics were supposed to have a 1 hour turnaround...

I went to my GP 3 weeks later as I was still in pain and I got a second xray in a hospital and it showed that I had a chipped bone in my hand so I was given a referral letter to see a consultant and I got an appointment for 6 weeks later.

To speed things up I said I would try to go the private route since I had VHI and I was given the name of a consultant. I emailed the consultant and I was told I would be waiting 10 to 12 weeks for an appointment!! I honestly thought I'd be seen to within a week or two...

Public route is quicker than private route, who would have thought!

Also, public hospital properly diagnosed my injury and VHI clinic did not!!

I should have went to the public hospital in the first place and maybe I would have been sorted by now!

Just my 2 cents, of course situations will vary...

snoopy12

OP is there a massive price difference in reducing your policy cover? AFAIK it is very expensive to have day to day expenses covered by VHI. The Hospital Saturday Fund is well spoke about and perhaps worth checking it out - it is often run in tandem with health insurance. I don't have it so I'm not sure of the entry requirements etc.

boogerballs

Thanks for all the replies, really very helpful. I'll get on to them tomorrow and see what options i have for reducing the cost of the policy.

naughtysmurf

6k a year for health insurance, really? Would have thought you could get a reasonably decent plan for half that surely

The YOPPA

Dubwat, did I get faster treatment? is a difficult one to answer I'd really have to compare it to someone who's gone through the same without health insurance, but I certainly feel I had & still have greater access to my kidney specialist, I have his private mobile number and text him whenever I need to. I can only presume I had faster access to scans, mri's, biopsy etc.

The 2011 to 2013 thing was because I had a very aggressive form of kidney disease.

Hope I've answered your question.

Markcheese

Look if something life threatening comes up , you'll be treated in the public system, which is actually pretty good -once you're in...
But a lot depends on who your gp refers you too- public or private ... no doubt you get to the top of the que private...
But a lot of the delays in the public system are for basic tests/scans. a lot of which can be got cheaply privately...might be worth having basic ,basic cover for peace of mind..and sort the rest your self ...

bee06

This story drove it home to me why I would never get rid of my private health insurance.

http://www.susielonghospice.com/about%20Susie.html

My dad had the same cancer but had private medical insurance. He had his colonoscopy within a week and surgery within two weeks. I still feel sick thinking about what might have happened without his health insurance.

gleNine

Wanderer78 wrote: »

if you can afford it your probably better off with it but its actually a scam. theres no reason why ireland shouldnt have a health care system like the nhs or any of the others available worldwide.

Agreed but that isn't really justification for not having it. The fact is that we DO NOT have a health care system like the NHS regardless of how much it is said here.

I can certainly say that for me - when I really needed it, I truly understood why I had it.
I don't doubt that its overpriced etc but there isn't much of an alternative. For me, healthcare is first priority - whether its right now or planning for any future possibilities.

Wanderer78

bee06 wrote: »

This story drove it home to me why I would never get rid of my private health insurance.

http://www.susielonghospice.com/about%20Susie.html

My dad had the same cancer but had private medical insurance. He had his colonoscopy within a week and surgery within two weeks. I still feel sick thinking about what might have happened without his health insurance.

my father died of bowel cancer a few years ago. we had to move him from private health care onto public healthcare as his policy wouldnt cover some of his procedures(poor policy). every single person in this country should have equal access to our health care system. its morally wrong to play russian roulette with peoples lives.

Ursus Horribilis

Have you ever looked at a websites such as http://www.hia.ie/ci/health-insurance-comparison or http://www.totalhealthcover.ie/

RainyDay

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

I got VHI a few months back and I went to the VHI clinic in January for a injured hand as I didn't want to wait for hours in A&E.

Let me tell you my story....

The VHI xrayed my hand and I was told there was no fractures and I was given a splint and sent away. I also waited about 3 hours that day as they were "busy". I thought VHI clinics were supposed to have a 1 hour turnaround...

I went to my GP 3 weeks later as I was still in pain and I got a second xray in a hospital and it showed that I had a chipped bone in my hand so I was given a referral letter to see a consultant and I got an appointment for 6 weeks later.

To speed things up I said I would try to go the private route since I had VHI and I was given the name of a consultant. I emailed the consultant and I was told I would be waiting 10 to 12 weeks for an appointment!! I honestly thought I'd be seen to within a week or two...

Public route is quicker than private route, who would have thought!

Also, public hospital properly diagnosed my injury and VHI clinic did not!!

I should have went to the public hospital in the first place and maybe I would have been sorted by now!

Just my 2 cents, of course situations will vary...

Interesting story - my GP always says 'private consultant in public hospital' for best mix of quality and speed.

bee06

Wanderer78 wrote: »

my father died of bowel cancer a few years ago. we had to move him from private health care onto public healthcare as his policy wouldnt cover some of his procedures(poor policy). every single person in this country should have equal access to our health care system. its morally wrong to play russian roulette with peoples lives.

I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your father and I completely agree that every person should have equal access but the simple fact is that is not what what we have.

Wanderer78

bee06 wrote: »

I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your father and I completely agree that every person should have equal access but the simple fact is that is not what what we have.

thank you and i understand what your saying but we have to try change this quickly or we re gonna end up in real trouble. the op didnt start this thread for this discussion anyway so i ll leave it at that.

freedominacup

Check the hia website op. We're paying €350/month for three adults and four kids. Kids on a completely different plan to adults. One of the adults is my father who is on a fairly high spec plan. There's a very good chance you won't take too much of a hit on your cover as the various companies are inclined to both push up prices and drop level on cover on plan Xyz while at the same time introducing more or less the same plan at the same price under a different name. Some very good plans on hia website you won't find advertised anywhere, often just identified by a series of letters and numbers.

dubrov

I wouldn't bother with basic private health insurance as it pretty much covers nothing.

In my opinion you should only insure yourself for things you can't afford if they go wrong.

So worst case, you could be looking at a chronic condition that isn't life threatening. The public service might have a long waiting list. In saying that, you could still just pay for the service privately.
Consultant fees are about €200 per visit. I'm guessing operations cost anywhere from €5k to €50k.

Given you are paying €6k a year, you would have to be very unlucky to be worse off without health insurance.
If I were you I'd save the 6k each year.

28064212

bee06 wrote: »

This story drove it home to me why I would never get rid of my private health insurance.

http://www.susielonghospice.com/about%20Susie.html

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how much a colonoscopy would cost privately, with no health insurance? I've seen figures of ~€1,400 (and AFAIK, you can claim 20% back in tax relief)

CiniO

Yes, what is average cost of medical treatments privately, without health insurance?

F.e. MRI scan? How much would I have to pay for one?

28064212

CiniO wrote: »

F.e. MRI scan? How much would I have to pay for one?

Can get one here from €200: http://www.alliancemedical.ie/medical-scan-prices/

RainyDay

dubrov wrote: »

I wouldn't bother with basic private health insurance as it pretty much covers nothing.

In my opinion you should only insure yourself for things you can't afford if they go wrong.

So worst case, you could be looking at a chronic condition that isn't life threatening. The public service might have a long waiting list. In saying that, you could still just pay for the service privately.
Consultant fees are about €200 per visit. I'm guessing operations cost anywhere from €5k to €50k.

Given you are paying €6k a year, you would have to be very unlucky to be worse off without health insurance.
If I were you I'd save the 6k each year.

€6k a year is very expensive. I'm covering the family for less than half that. It's not hard to run up bills of €50k on medical procedures or a couple of hospital visits.

It's like any insurance really. Do you bother with life insurance, or house insurance?

Markcheese

RainyDay wrote:

It's like any insurance really. Do you bother with life insurance, or house insurance?

Know what you're saying, but in this case you are largely covered by the public system ... and if an x-ray or scan is the delaying factor in getting into the system you can get that privatly for a couple of hundred ...
If you dont have house insurance/flood insurance you could be fecked , unless theres mass flooding in an election year.

RainyDay

Here's what being 'largely covered by the public system' means;

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/hospital-waiting-lists-worsen-significantly-despite-target-date-1.2348991

okiss

Hi Boggerballs,

You seem to be paying a lot for health insurance with the vhi. I have some experience in this area. Could you tell me what plan your on and what plan you have the children on with Vhi.

Could I ask would you be happy to pay an excess if you were to go to hospital?
Would you like a private room in the mater private or would you be happy with a semi private room in a private hospital like St Vincents?
What cover would be important to you - ie is there a history of cancer/heart trouble in the family?

Adults and children can be on different plans as your child won't be seen say in the Blackrock clinic. Also some plans that pay for day to day cover can be more expensive.

If you give me some information I can look up the www.hia.ie website and see what plans could suit you. Could I ask when is your policy up for renewal? The reason is that if you change policies during the year the companies can charage you for doing this.