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Worth keeping health insurance while travelling ?

  • 05-01-2019 11:21am
    #1
    Rockin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 495 ✭✭


    Hey guys

    Just wondering what people thought about the above ? If it was possible to freeze entitlements etc. Will be travelling for 8-12 months and don't think the VHI will be much use abroad!


Comments

  • #2
    3DataModem
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,077 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    They won't let you freeze it, you can stop and restart. The only problem is when you restart, you will again be subject to waiting period, and more importantly will lose your entitlement to lifetime rating.

    I suspect that both of these things may be worth worth keeping.

    Think carefully. If you do decide to take a break, you cannot 'undo' that once 13 weeks pass.


  • #3
    Car99
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,531 ✭✭✭Car99


    Rockin wrote: »
    Hey guys

    Just wondering what people thought about the above ? If it was possible to freeze entitlements etc. Will be travelling for 8-12 months and don't think the VHI will be much use abroad!

    On the off chance You may get ill or injured abroad and have to come home from your trip early to recover at which time you may need your health insurance. I'd keep it running.


  • #4
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,622 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Some of the cheaper travel policies assume that you have a medical insurance policy at home which will cover some of your foreign medical expenses so be aware of this and check if your VHI policy covers travel in which case it would be worth your while keeping your VHI cover, both for that reason and to maintain continuity of cover.


  • #5
    NSAman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,454 ✭✭✭NSAman


    VHI is a great way to save the cost of insurance while travelling as someone above said, many insurance companies ask if you have health cover.. I think they also do a travelers policy for longer stints abroad. I would not let it lapse if I were you, when you restart it, you will have a waiting period for start of policy benefits again.


  • #6
    NIMAN
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,685 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    coylemj wrote: »
    Some of the cheaper travel policies assume that you have a medical insurance policy at home which will cover some of your foreign medical expenses so be aware of this and check if your VHI policy covers travel in which case it would be worth your while keeping your VHI cover, both for that reason and to maintain continuity of cover.

    I always wondered about this, I think it's mentioned on one of the radio adverts for travel insurance.

    They say 'subject to you already having health insurance which covers treatment abroad ',or words to that effect.

    So are they going to dodge paying out by making the poor person claim on their existing health insurance? If so,why have travel insurance then?


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  • #7
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,622 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    NIMAN wrote: »
    They say 'subject to you already having health insurance which covers treatment abroad ',or words to that effect.

    Yes, these are the bargain basement travel policies, they are priced based on 95% of medical expenses being reimbursable from your own home policy. So effectively they only have to cover the tiny % of people who rack up serious medical bills. And there are usually exclusions concerning being drunk or participating in activity sports etc. so they will do their absolute best to worm out of even those claims.
    NIMAN wrote: »
    So are they going to dodge paying out by making the poor person claim on their existing health insurance? If so,why have travel insurance then?

    A domestic medical policy may include limited cover for foreign medical treatment. You still need proper travel insurance to cover treatment for serious injuries or illnesses you suffer when abroad, especially in the US. And no domestic medical policy will include cover for medical repatriation.


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