Private Medical Insurance

the waiting period waiver is linked to being in that corporate plan. If you come out of that standard waiting periods would apply

Loading are there to incentivise people to join before the are 35…. They did not exist prior to 2015…

Loading make the system fairer as without them people might wait until they are older to take out cover. For the community rated system to work it needs younger people on cover to subsidy’s older members!

it’s getting to be very expensive. It is excellent cover however, likely your employer has 10% discount to… if not they should get an adviser in place (cough 😂).

If I was speaking with your employer I would be telling them to look at Horizon 4 the exact same plan as 4D 4 with three changes to hospital cover , co payment for orthopaedic is €2,500 versus €2,000, new ophthalmic co payment of €500 and new €1,000 co payment for certain cardiac procedures. Everything else is the exact same. Again if your employer has a good adviser they should have an upgrade waiver in place to allow people upgrade with no waiting period for any of the above.

Horizon 4 isn’t as attractive if no discount or waiver of upgrades (ie if you are a regular consumer)

HelathGuide 3 is almost the same as 4D4 €75 excess versus €50 and increase in co payment for orthopaedic to €3,000. You also lose personalised packages. But have slightly better dental and physio. It’s a very good option and significantly cheaper.

If a regular consumer can get 5% off health guide here: https://www.totalhealthcover.ie/health-insurance-quote

Health guide 2 is a great semi private room plan and health guide 3 good private room

Plan.

Definitely worth moving, PMI 48 10 is a very similar just has a new excess for day cases. If you don’t have many day cases much better on PMI 48 10. One major negative of both plans is there is a nightly excess of €50 in a private room which is not great.

If regular admissions PMI 24 10 might be a good as fixed excess of €150 for private rooms (but warning doesn’t cover private hospital in Waterford).

Again if get Health Guide 3 you get €75 excess per stay versus €50 per night so it’s a good option with the 5% discount.

That’s a good plan still. One thing you may or not be aware is it doesn’t have cover for VHI 360 centres like most plans that have cover with a €75 excess per visit.

Small saving to be made by moving to PMI 52 10 which has slightly lower hospital excess for day cases and higher overnight excess. Additionally it has only 60% cover for orthopaedic versus 80%. It’s also has VHI 360 cover.

Alternatives are similarly priced with Laya (inspire care) so likely you stay where you are I think

https://www.hia.ie/comparison-tool/results/3AARpzEzMDQuODioMjI3MTcuOTbCkJABoTCjNjAwAJPNB-kLFMKTzQEczQGazQEblQcEBQkGkJOTpUFkdWx0AAKTpUNoaWxkAwGTpUNoaWxkBAHDww==

You need to be careful, a certain number of VHI Plans have unusual restrictions on hospitals, ones most typical are Waterford and Sligo.

Laya also have plans like this, transform plus being an example that excludes lots of private hospitals in the south.

Assuming renewal is 1st of January, If so I’d recommend setting up a new plan with Laya from 31st of December on prosper advanced and keeping connect choice also.

Both plans go up on 1st of January. Connect choice is great value and benefits until 31st December but has a double whammy from 1st of January of price increase and benefit cuts (hospital excess going up and orthopaedic shortfall going from 20% to 40%).

lastly you mention your dad has a bad knee and no mention of your mam having an similar issues, if so you should have them on different plans.

Health Guide 2 is a very good plan still. TotalHealthCover.ie have 5% discount on Heath Guide for new customers and can also give 5% off if you appoint them as your broker on your renewal (email info@totalhealthcover.ie with policy number).

if you want to stay with Irish Life I’d be looking at a plan like Better Select might suit (once you not planning on using high tech).

Health Guide with 5% discount is as good as almost anything on the market. So if happy with the cover I wouldn’t be recommending any change.