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VHI/Vivas/Bupa/Quinn and pre-existing illness ?

  • 16-06-2008 01:39PM
    #1
    Raiser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,929 ✭✭✭


    Hi All,

    I worked for a large [Global] multi-national Health Insurance organisation for a while a few years ago. Since witnessing on a daily basis their refusal to entertain any claim for what they termed a "pre-existing condition" for thousands of unlucky sick people I've been a bit wary of signing up for private health insurance and paying a premium myself.

    - In my case I have occasional ear/hearing trouble and see an ENT consultant from time to time - my worry is that if I need to claim from VHI/Vivas/Quinn etc. if my condition ever required surgery/long hospistal stays etc. that they will disqualify my claim and keep my money :(

    Can anyone advise if this is a valid concern - or even if you have some experience in this area etc.? Also if a particular company would suit me better then I'd be grateful for any pointers.

    Thanks, Paul.

    p.s. Just remembered that Bupa were banished from our shores.............


Comments

  • #2
    CathyMoran
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,458 ✭✭✭CathyMoran


    I think that for VHI they normally allow a waiting period for pre-existing medical conditions depending on age, I think for VHI it is 5 years for those under age 55. http://www.vhi.ie/global/index_p.jsp


  • #3
    SerialComplaint
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,644 ✭✭✭SerialComplaint


    In fairness to the insurance companies, if they didn't have this exclusion, most people would just wait until a medical condition arises and then sign up for insurance at that point in time, which kind-of defeats the principle of sharing the risk through insurance.


  • #4
    Raiser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,929 ✭✭✭Raiser


    Thanks for the replies folks - and SerialComplaint you are of course right...... I'll never forget witnessing the hundreds of people a day that were turned away from the Claims Dept. of that company after paying [sometimes] decades of premiums on a policy & then never getting the saftey net they thought they had paid for :mad:

    - Anyway cheers for the advice !!!


  • #5
    SerialComplaint
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,644 ✭✭✭SerialComplaint


    Raiser wrote: »
    I'll never forget witnessing the hundreds of people a day that were turned away from the Claims Dept. of that company after paying [sometimes] decades of premiums on a policy & then never getting the saftey net they thought they had paid for :mad:
    This doesn't make sense. If they had been paying premiums for decades, they would have passed the 5-year waiting period. Only those within the 5-year waiting period would get their claims declined.


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