VHI premiums to rise by 15% from 1 February

Run_to_da_hills · 06-01-2011 12:20PM #1

"Health insurer VHI has announced a 15% price increase from 1 February - the average family premium will rise by around €331".

How can these bast*ards get away with this?

People are just going to leave them as I have done several years ago. Have they any cop on about the law of diminishing returns?.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0106/vhi.html

starbelgrade · 06-01-2011 12:23PM

Am I bovvered?

Face.

Bovvered?

06-01-2011 12:26PM

So many employers gonna be ragin...

gurramok · 06-01-2011 12:28PM

The MNC i work in has switched from VHI. Thats a loss of a few thousand subscribers for VHI and i'm very glad as their plans are so vague on what you can claim.
Most people I know end up not been eligible for claims despite what what they were told in writing when they joined the VHI. VHI's excuse was that they sent an email informing subscribers of changes to their plans, yeh right!

Run_to_da_hills · 06-01-2011 12:29PM

Deleted User wrote: »

So many employers gonna be ragin...

Easy way around this, cut down on staff to save on premiums. More on the Dole, thanks to this Semi State body that is indirectly fueling unemployment.

leeroybrown · 06-01-2011 12:30PM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

How can these bast*ards get away with this?

The price rises are a bit extreme but we can expect similar (but hopefully not quite so steep) increases from other health providers. If you read down through the article you'll see a reference to the 21% increase in the cost of healthcare in public hospitals. That was always going to be passed on directly to the customer.

godtabh · 06-01-2011 12:31PM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Easy way around this, cut down on staff to save on premiums. More on the Dole, thanks to this Semi State body that is indirectly fueling unemployment.

employers are more likely to drop vhi as a perk than let people go

My last employer did that. Got to expensive. Went else where and on a different package.

leeroybrown · 06-01-2011 12:34PM

Deleted User wrote: »

So many employers gonna be ragin...

Don't forget the employees. Those that keep their corporate health insurance will still be paying BIK on the increase at the marginal rate in the majority cases - that's going to hurt too.

Eoin · 06-01-2011 12:40PM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Easy way around this, cut down on staff to save on premiums. More on the Dole, thanks to this Semi State body that is indirectly fueling unemployment.

That doesn't really make sense at all. If you can't afford to pay people a perk then you remove or change the perk - not the people.

Gummy Panda · 06-01-2011 12:40PM

godtabh wrote: »

employers are more likely to drop vhi as a perk than let people go

My last employer did that. Got to expensive. Went else where and on a different package.

My employer use to only offer VHI. Now they offer Aviva and Quinn as well.

I think I might change to Aviva health insurance as a co-worker said the plan was easier to understand and had more options.

Kiera · 06-01-2011 12:44PM

Gummy Panda wrote: »

My employer use to only offer VHI. Now they offer Aviva and Quinn as well.

I think I might change to Aviva health insurance as a co-worker said the plan was easier to understand and had more options.

I'm with them and find them great. They do offer a lot more than VHI which i was a member of a few years ago .

bnt · 06-01-2011 12:44PM

Wait till they start adopting more American practices, such as cherry-picking patients with good health records. Got a pre-existing condition - even one that's inexpensive to manage? They treat you like a driver with a history of wrapping cars around trees. :mad:

Then there's the cost of medicines, which is only going to rise. There's a new treatment (Gilenya) coming out this year for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: the first real oral therapy (no injections). Great, but the wholesale cost is $48,000 a year, which translates to about €100 per day. Good luck getting that on the VHI ...

starbelgrade · 06-01-2011 12:46PM

I love the VHI ad with the one from saying that she couldn't believe that being in hospital in some third world country was just like being in one in Cork... as if it was a good thing.

Cookie_Monster · 06-01-2011 12:51PM

Fantastic you now have to pay even more and still have the privilege of being stuck on a trolley cos all our hospitals are ****.

Feeona · 06-01-2011 12:52PM

I've paid private health insurance for years. It's something my parents always had, and I was always on their plan so I just carried it on.

Over the past few months I've been wondering is there any benefit in paying private health insurance. I know of a few friends who went public when they were pregnant, private health insurance didn't really do anything for them. Public health care just seems to be the same as private health care. What are we paying for? It's not like the States where you're looked upon as a deviant if you don't have private health care. We're still at a stage here in Ireland where you will be taken care of (by overworked staff in over crowded hospitals, but still taken care of) whether you have insurance or not.

drdeadlift · 06-01-2011 12:58PM

Im with them the past five years been paying 20quid a week, only used them once had an mri done didnt cost me jack.Im in two minds if i need it anymore.

LizT · 06-01-2011 01:01PM

I'm with them and will probably stay with them (because my parents pay for mine, my dad's over 70 and other health insurance companies do feck all for him)

E.T. · 06-01-2011 01:03PM

Feeona wrote: »

I've paid private health insurance for years. It's something my parents always had, and I was always on their plan so I just carried it on.

Over the past few months I've been wondering is there any benefit in paying private health insurance. I know of a few friends who went public when they were pregnant, private health insurance didn't really do anything for them. Public health care just seems to be the same as private health care. What are we paying for? It's not like the States where you're looked upon as a deviant if you don't have private health care. We're still at a stage here in Ireland where you will be taken care of (by overworked staff in over crowded hospitals, but still taken care of) whether you have insurance or not.

If you're a public patient who isn't entitled to a medical card, and you end up staying in hospital you have to pay a fee per night, as well as for certain tests. I had a relative in hospital last year, pre-existing condition not covered by their insurance, so they had to pay. It's €75 a night, to a max of €750 over 12 consecutive months. The citizens information site says the following are excluded from charges:

* Medical card holders
* People receiving treatment for prescribed infectious diseases
* People who are subject to "long stay" charges
* Children up to six weeks of age, children suffering from prescribed diseases and disabilities and children referred for treatment
from child health clinics and school board examinations
* People who are entitled to hospital services because of EU Regulations
* Women receiving maternity services.

Run_to_da_hills · 06-01-2011 01:08PM

Feeona wrote: »

I've paid private health insurance for years. It's something my parents always had, and I was always on their plan so I just carried it on.

Over the past few months I've been wondering is there any benefit in paying private health insurance. I know of a few friends who went public when they were pregnant, private health insurance didn't really do anything for them. Public health care just seems to be the same as private health care. What are we paying for? It's not like the States where you're looked upon as a deviant if you don't have private health care. We're still at a stage here in Ireland where you will be taken care of (by overworked staff in over crowded hospitals, but still taken care of) whether you have insurance or not.

I had public up until about 12 years ago when a mate almost lost his leg in a motorbike crash because of waiting months to get treatment to reset his leg, he still suffers. If the guy had private cover he would have been attended to immediatly. I wouldn't dream of getting on a bike without having private cover.

Hospital care is going down the same road as in the US, the gap is widening between those that can afford private and those than cannot. As public hospital service deteriorates it becomes necessary to cover yourself privately.

hal9000 · 06-01-2011 01:10PM

E.T. wrote: »

prescribed infectious diseases

HSE are prescribing diseases now!

E.T. · 06-01-2011 01:15PM

hal9000 wrote: »

HSE are prescribing diseases now!

Haven't you heard of Harneyitis? It's an inflammation of the rage gland caused by listening to news about the incompetency/inadequacy/ignorance of high level officials (note - not frontline staff) which lead to a complete screwing of the general public. Very dangerous and extremely contagious, especially if you've had relatives/friends in hospital recently.

TheZohanS · 06-01-2011 01:16PM

drdeadlift wrote: »

Im with them the past five years been paying 20quid a week, only used them once had an mri done didnt cost me jack.Im in two minds if i need it anymore.

I was in two minds a couple of years ago then I had to go into hospital for some tests. Turned out I needed surgery, would have been waiting nearly a year if I was a public patient. As a private a private patient I could pick and choose whatever hospital I wanted and the dates for surgery. Saved myself a lot of time, hassle and worry. In the end I needed a second operation, total bill came to over €10k all paid for by VHI.

cbyrd · 06-01-2011 01:19PM

I was admitted to hospital a few weeks ago.. handed over my insurance card and all was taken care of... plus i get up to 60% of my gp dental osteopath eyecare money back.. i'll be getting a lovely cheque for about €1200 in feb... just in time for the holidays.. it's actually amazing when you count up receipts how much u spend in a year with doctors and the like (family of 5):eek:

The health care system is actually one of the best it's just the getting diagnosed and seen to.. I went public for allergy testing and waited 8 months for an appointment. I couldn't actually go private as there were no doctors accepting private patients so in this instance my insurance wasn't necessary,

i was píssed off though cos we pay a lot each year and i have no problem paying to be seen quicker, i'm lucky we can afford it.. just a stupid policy that you have it and can't make use of it.. somebody needs to be slapped for that law :rolleyes:

JazzyJ · 06-01-2011 01:25PM

Some of their increases are just taking the piss.

Plan B /Plan B Excess 35%

Plan B Options 45%

Rabidlamb · 06-01-2011 01:25PM

Costs are going up cause the HSE are increasing the charges for a private beds in public hospitals.
The VHI is just a revenue vehicle for the health service cause older customers have no choice.
It's like putting 4c on petrol.

Oasis44 · 06-01-2011 01:25PM

I think it's becoming crazy expensive now to have private insurance. I personally stopped my aviva plan in 2009 when I lost my job and I've yet to sign back up even though I'm back in work. The benefits are primarily the speed in which your seen BUT apparently if your public and your GP thinks you may have a serious condition then they can speed the process up - personally I would love to go private again but right now it's unaffordable - just that simple I'm afraid.

jester77 · 06-01-2011 01:26PM

How much does it now cost annually?

I remember my parents telling me what they were paying and I thought it was cheap at the time compared to what I was paying here in Germany, but that was a few years back.

E.T. · 06-01-2011 01:30PM

I pay Quinn just under €800 for a single person (Company Care, no excess).

06-01-2011 01:30PM

jester77 wrote: »

How much does it now cost annually?

I remember my parents telling me what they were paying and I thought it was cheap at the time compared to what I was paying here in Germany, but that was a few years back.

Germany is a bit crazy for insurance & tax

anyway mine personally costs around 600 a year

Dacelonid · 06-01-2011 01:36PM

I thought that I would be able to cope with the advertised 10-15% hike, but looking at the details, my plan B cost is going to be going up by €26 a month (~34% hike). That is disgraceful.

Looks like I will be moving bank (BOI) and health insurance(VHI) this year

Feeona · 06-01-2011 01:44PM

TheZohan wrote: »

I was in two minds a couple of years ago then I had to go into hospital for some tests. Turned out I needed surgery, would have been waiting nearly a year if I was a public patient. As a private a private patient I could pick and choose whatever hospital I wanted and the dates for surgery. Saved myself a lot of time, hassle and worry. In the end I needed a second operation, total bill came to over €10k all paid for by VHI.

Good to hear that people are getting value from their private insurance. I haven't had to go in to get surgery done (touch wood), but my boyfriend has been in and out to A and E with sports injuries. The average waiting time was seven/eight hours, seems it's those who need it most get seen first (which is only right) but you sometimes wonder what you're shelling out money for!

VHI premiums to rise by 15% from 1 February

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